Wight Salads’ Sweetie mini tomato picked up the Tomato Growers’ Association (TGA) tastiest tomato accolade at the National Fruit Show last week, although Flavourfresh Salads’ Santini on-the-vine variety clocked in a close second.
“After the first round of tastings the two tomatoes scored exactly the same, but the judges re-tasted and Sweetie just came in the favourite,” said Gerry Hayman, chief executive of the TGA.
Third overall place also went to Flavourfresh Salads, with its small cherry variety Mini Melrow, but there were individual winners in each tomato category, including plum, cherry, classic, cocktail and beefsteak.
The competition was sponsored by Marks & Spencer, and the winner received the David Stapley Cup, named after the late David Stapley, a Kentish tomato grower and TGA supporter. The judges comprised the Horticultural Development Council’s Andrew Tinsley, June Wilkins from the Kent Federation of Horticultural Societies, the Soil Association’s Ben Raskin and Ashley Bernhard from Norman Collett.
“This is the climax of a fantastically successful year for us - we had a very good season,” Hayman told freshinfo. “Our growers avoided blight by keeping their crop dry, thanks to glasshouses, and energy costs were down on last year - they are still high, but it’s a start.”
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