GO BEYOND FOUR SEASONS

WINTER TOMATOES

Our Winter Tomato offering is growing. This is a category that we pioneered, representative of our radically seasonal approach. Winter Tomatoes are grown in Spanish and Italian regions where tomatoes struggle during the summer, due to very high temperatures. The colder conditions, however, allow growers to stress the plants beyond what can be done in the summer, when they need more water to survive in the heat. This has transformative effects on flavour –  the stress creates thick, crunchy skin, dense flesh, and flavour which is undoubtedly bright, but salty too.

We began a few weeks ago with Black Iberiko from Almería, and now, as we await the Marinda, our sourcing team have secured Marinella Tomatoes from the same growers in Sicily. The Marinella has characteristic weighty shoulders and ribbed flesh, and will serve to bridge the gap before Marinda arrives.

Elsewhere, we have welcomed Mandarin Tacle from Carmelo in Sicily. This variety is a fine example of hybridisation in pursuit of taste – Tarocco pigmentation meets the sweetness of a Clementine Monreal with zingy results. These traits become even more pronounced as the gap widens between night and day temperatures in the region.

Finally, Olive Leaf Rocket from the market in Naples is now with us. These bright green leaves have an aromatic, peppery flavour that is less intense than that of wild rocket – they will be in until May.

EARLY

Chioggia – Veneto, Italy
Minestra Nera – Campania, Italy
Clementine Leafy – Puglia, Italy

PEAK

Onion Roscoff – Brittany, France
Bergamot – Calabria, Italy
Blue Meat Radish – Vendée, France

LATE

Black Muscat – Toulouse, France
Kumquats Green – Catania, Italy
Green Cedro – Catania, Sicily