Isle of Wight Tomatoes has taken centre stage in Marks & Spencer’s latest nationwide Farm to Foodhall campaign, with Managing Director Paul Thomas appearing alongside celebrity chef Tom Kerridge in a new television advert filmed in Arreton.
The campaign, which airs this month, highlights the work of M&S farmers and suppliers across the UK and showcases the journey from farm to foodhall.
Isle of Wight Tomatoes has supplied British-grown tomatoes to M&S for more than 20 years, with the partnership built around producing high-quality and flavourful varieties.
Filmed at the company’s glasshouses in the Arreton Valley, the advert sees Tom Kerridge visit what he described as ‘tomato paradise’ to discover how the Island’s unique microclimate and additional daylight hours help enhance the sweetness and flavour of the crop.
Operating a harvest-to-order model, tomatoes are picked and packed before being transported to stores to ensure customers receive produce at peak freshness.
This year, the partnership has introduced 2 new additions to the Isle of Wight Summer Tomatoes range. These include a colourful selection of varieties ranging from sweet pink to fruity orange, as well as an exclusive new Marble Tomato, described as having a sweet, cherry-like flavour suited to summer salads.
The growing team trials up to 100 tomato varieties from around the world each year, selecting only those deemed suitable for M&S customers.
Sustainability also plays a key role in production. The B-Corp certified grower collects rainwater from its glasshouses and uses it to irrigate around 80% of crops. Water runoff is recycled back into the system, while organic waste is composted on-site and 100% biodegradable strings are used throughout production.
Paul Thomas, Managing Director of Isle of Wight Tomatoes, has said:
“Our roots go back to a single tomato stall in Borough Market, and while we’ve grown significantly since then, our core mission has never changed: to make people fall in love with real, fresh flavour.
“Growing an exceptional tomato is an obsession with quality, which is why we trial up to 100 global varieties each year. Working alongside M&S for 2 decades has given us the platform to bring these discoveries, like this year’s exclusive Marble Tomato, straight from our vines to shelves for customers at peak freshness.”
Lydia Aaron, Food Technologist at M&S, has said:
“We’re incredibly proud to have worked with Isle of Wight Tomatoes for the last 20 years. We both share a passion for championing the very best of British produce, and it’s a joy to work with such a dedicated team.
“We’re thrilled to highlight the hard work of Paul and his team in our latest advert, showcasing the expertise that goes into every single harvest to bring fantastic, exclusive products, like the Marble Tomato, straight to our customers’ tables.”
