Somewhere along the way, home-grown food became ingrained in my being, and as an adult I found that I had absorbed a huge amount of information. In between the fond memories of blackberries and barbeques, I can still remember the tomato varieties she grew every year (or the two that made an impression on me anyway), how to grow from seed, dig over a bed, feed the land… I learnt a lot from her. In case you’re wondering, they were Golden Sunrise and Old Ivory Egg - both old heirlooms with a rich history, rich flavour, and both yellow. I still have a particular fondness for yellow tomatoes, but these days I love to see them striped with red, gold and antho!

I started to grow my own fruit and veg in my twenties, once life had settled down a little and I had a space to put a few pots. But five years ago, a pack of 50 heritage tomato seed varieties changed my life! A quick google search of names showed me things I had no idea were possible - different shapes, sizes, and the colours, oh my!! Stripes and spots and every colour of the rainbow! So I planted 12 varieties that year, but as the plants grew, so did my obsession.

By year two I had filled a polytunnel with 40 plants, and had a “silly” fantasy of, one day, running a tomato farm. Over the years since, my seed collection has grown ten-fold, mostly due to the kindness of the tomato community in swapping and gifting unusual types. I now grow over 120 varieties each year, with hopes to expand. Having grown up in London, I am acutely aware of the need for plants that can be grown in small spaces, so I have focussed my collection to contain a wide range of dwarf, mini dwarf, micro dwarf and cascading types.

The opening of The Tomato Lab Ltd is the culmination of my obsession. I am now in a position to share the jewels of the tomato crown with anyone who wants to grow something a little different!