Growing passions bring TV stardom
AFAMILY-RUN business is featured in a national TV advert as part of a major supermarket’s latest campaign.
Andy Roe, tomato growing expert at Flavourfresh, will be seen by up to 39million people as he appears in the advert for Marks and Spencer’s biggest ever Fresh Market Update campaign.
Flavourfresh, based in Tarleton, Lancashire, has partnered with M&S for more than 20 years, providing over 30 million packs of tomatoes in that time.
During peak season Andy and the 350 strong team can pick and pack 75,000 punnets a day.
Andy is the business’ resident tomato growing expert and is among a chosen few suppliers to be showcased before the country.
Flavourfresh originated in 1997 and Andy and the team have invested heavily in their production, from taking years to develop the best tomato varieties, to employing leading sustainable farming technology.
It supplies tomatoes, strawberries, and, more recently, blackberries to M&S stores across the UK, and Andy is particularly proud of their Sweet Rosso Tomatoes, which are known for their delicious taste.
Andy, whose official title is tomato production manager, said: “We are extremely proud to partner with M&S to help to bring customers the most delicious and best-quality produce.
“It can take anywhere up to ten years to develop a truly great tasting tomato and bring them to store shelves.
“We trial around 250 new variants each year and use a combination of technology and farming knowledge to ensure we’re producing the tastiest tomatoes possible.
M&S is a great partner in this endeavour, because as a company, they are leaders in innovation. Even after 20 years, we’re still finding ways to innovate our farming and make tomatoes more delicious.”
Sustainability is an increasingly important part of the business and an area that Andy is particularly passionate about.
If you visit one of Flavourfresh’s growing sites you will likely see bees, butterflies, and other wildlife buzzing among the wildflowers planted nearby. Besides creating specific habitats for pollinating insects, Flavourfresh also uses technology to minimise their impact on the environment.
For example, it uses a water recirculation system that allows workers to capture rainwater and clean, filter, and reuse it for growing, recycling up to 30% of the company’s water. Water management has been so successful around the farm that water voles have come back to the area.
Guy Grimshaw, agronomist at M&S, added: “At
M&S we are extremely passionate about where all of our food comes from, including tomatoes, and it’s an absolute joy to work with unique, talented, and enthusiastic farmers like Andy at Flavourfresh.
“He is focused on developing the tastiest tomatoes possible through clever farming technology, while also being mindful of the environment.
“It’s great to see such innovation and commitment to growing quality, fresh British produce.
“Our customers love Andy’s amazing tomatoes year after year, especially the Sweet Rosso variety, which are exclusive to M&S.”