Thanet Earth
Addy Breugem

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.

For Addy, chief grower at Thanet Earth, tomatoes run in the family. He grew up on his father’s tomato nursery in the Netherlands, where he farmed toms till 2008. Today, he oversees the production of 400 million tomatoes a year on our farm – enough to fill more than 25 football pitches.

Located in East Kent, our tomatoes benefit from amazing growing conditions and plant-friendly weather, helping us cultivate crops that are bursting with flavour. We also separate each tomato variety up into its own zone in our greenhouses, allowing us to tailor growing methods to their very different needs.

“Located in East Kent, our tomatoes benefit from amazing growing conditions and plant-friendly weather, helping us cultivate crops that are bursting with flavour”

Sustainability is really important to us and we work hard to leave a positive footprint on the planet. We collect all the rain that falls on our green and packhouses, as well as the condensation that forms inside.

This all adds up to some 50 million gallons of H2O, and we use it to water our plants. If there’s any left over once the toms have had their fill, we recycle it back into the system. It means we’re around 85% self-sufficient and, crucially, aren’t a drain on the local water table.

We use natural gas to generate power for our glasshouses, providing light and heat for our tomatoes. Any additional electricity we create goes to the grid, which helps power around 50,000 homes in the area.

Tomato plants need pollinating, so to help us out, we keep native UK bumblebees in our greenhouses. And to keep on top of any creepy crawlies who could compromise our crops, we rely on natural predators. We much prefer this method of pest control over pesticides, it not only helps us protect the environment but grow healthier, tastier toms.

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