Summer's here and with it comes an explosion of juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes bursting onto UK supermarket shelves. But do these succulent offerings live up to their promise? Our investigation put some of Britain's biggest supermarkets under the spotlight, pitting their best against each other in a battle for taste supremacy.
Morrisons took top honours with its 'the Best Viola Cocktail' tomatoes, earning four stars for their deep maroon hue, impressive sweetness (Brix score of seven), low acidity, and rounded umami flavour. These medium-sized lovelies were praised as a prime example that, yes, you can get great tomatoes in the UK – courtesy of Isle of Wight Tomatoes.
Ocado's organic vine tomatoes on the vine secured the 'best bargain' title, also racking up four stars for their large size, subtle sweetness (Brix score of four), and strong green-tomato aroma. A steal at any price!
Other notable performers included M&S's medium-large UK-grown Rosa vine tomatoes (four stars for sweetness and umami flavour) and Tesco's sweet Saint Anna varieties from the Netherlands (three stars, with a lush tomato leaf aroma).
Not everyone made the cut, though. Asda's Scottish Roterno variety scored two stars for its mild sweetness and flat flavour, while Co-op's Irresistible Pick of the Crop and Waitrose's No 1 red choice vine tomatoes also faltered at this level – described as watery and lacking in character.
The review highlighted that tomato flavour and availability can fluctuate throughout summer, so keep an eye on what's in season. And a final tip: let your ripe-looking tomatoes sit out for a few days to ripen further – they'll thank you for it!