Red Roofs
Chris Durnford

It’s thanks to the hard work and dedication of growers across the country that we’re able to celebrate British tomato season with so many delicious varieties each year.

Meet some of the growers working to keep shops and shelves well-stocked.

Peter Durnford set up Red Roofs back in 1961, cultivating a variety of salads on a smallholding in East Yorkshire. Now, Peter’s son Chris is in charge of growing on the family-run farm, alongside his wife Janann and their two boys, twins Alex and Kieran.

These days, we focus totally on tomatoes, and specifically baby plums. We love these delicious little toms for their fruity scent, juicy texture and light, sweet taste.

We’re at the forefront of sustainable tomato growing. We were the first salad grower in the UK to use ground source heat pumping to warm our tomatoes, hugely reducing the need for fossil fuels. And our state-of-the-art greenhouses are fitted with thermal screens to increase our energy efficiency. 

“We’re at the forefront of sustainable tomato growing. We were the first salad grower in the UK to use ground source heat pumping to warm our tomatoes, hugely reducing the need for fossil fuels”

To pollinate our tomato plants, we turn to our resident bees to pitch in. And rather than pesticides, we rely on biological methods to keep pesky pests at bay. We even put waste to good use, enriching our crops with the carbon dioxide produced from electricity generation. It also helps us maximise our yield.

Every year, we grow and pick around 1.3 million kilograms of baby toms. We pack each one on site – around 4.5 million punnets – and deliver direct to the depot. This reduces food miles and ensures our toms are as tasty and fresh as possible when they reach you.