The industry marked British Tomato Week in front of the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday, when Tomato Growers’ Association (TGA) chairman Nigel Bartle donned a round red suit on college green.
The event, now in its second year, aimed to inform the public and especially the 8,000 food consumers in parliament about the quality and diversity of home-grown tomatoes, give them a chance to taste the product and provide an opportunity for MPs to learn more about the issues faced by British growers.
The visit, through rain and shine this time, was again supported by Baroness Shepherd of Northwold.
Bartle, nursery manager at Cornerways Nursery, told freshinfo that he expects this season to be “phenomenally interesting”, given the long-range forecast for a hot summer following two wash-out years. He said: “British tomatoes are better, not just because they are British but because they are fresher, have travelled less and have a better flavour.”
The launch will be backed up by in-store promotions and tastings at selected retailers around the country, while nurseries will open their doors to local schools and horticultural societies.
Mark Hill, executive chef at the Houses of Parliament, said of last year’s event: “We have mounted a number of promotions with other British food organisations, many much larger and better funded than the TGA, but what was exceptional about the TGA was their professionalism, their participation in the event itself and the quality of information they provided to support the promotion. We continue to serve some of the dishes developed for the event and our customers still ask for recipes, so there is no doubt that the TGA successfully raised consumer awareness about the quality, availability and versatility of the British tomato.”
The activities last year made up the best consumer marketing campaign at the Grower of the Year Awards 2009.
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