Mini “berry tomatoes” could be sold in UK supermarkets in the next two years, according to a Dutch seed company.
At nearly half the size of a cherry tomato, the patented berry variety from Dutch seed company Axia Vegetable Seeds remains in the development phase with commercial trials currently ongoing.
Axia's Nic Van Roosmalen is confident that increasing health trends in Britain and Europe, and desire for premium tomato varieties will help take their berry variety mainstream.
“Normally when tomatoes are smaller than 4cm across they lose their flavour, but these ones are bred to maintain flavour,' Roosmalen said.
“When tomatoes are sliced in half too, they lose flavour as the moisture goes out, which is why they come with vinegars and sauces, but these are small enough you won’t need to cut them in prepared salads, holding in the flavour.
With consumption of premium tomatoes at record levels, Roosmalen believes they will provide a new point of differentiation for the tomato category.
“I think these will be premium. At the moment there’s no market for them but they are different, while a lot of tomatoes are quite similar. The shape is different, the size is different, and the taste is different.
“I think they can be sold in countries that are more willing to pay for added value like France, Britain, and Scandinavian countries.”
