Standard Ticket – £20.00

Taste and evaluate 10 different tomato varieties grown onsite

Tour of the tomato growing spaces with Matthew

Cost £20.00
Approximately 1.5hrs

Sessions
Saturday 1st August 9:00am – 10:30am
Saturday 1st August 4:00pm – 5:30pm

Sunday 2nd August 9:00am – 10:30am
Sunday 2nd August 4:00pm – 5:30pm

Premium Ticket – £45.00

Taste and evaluate 10 different tomato varieties grown onsite

Tour of the tomato growing spaces with Matthew

Talk by a Tomato expert
Saturday – Simon Crawford (Tomato Breeder)
Sunday – TBC

Chef Demonstration
Howard will demo 2 different dishes using tomatoes as the primary ingredients
A recipe card will be available for both dishes for you take away and try at home 

Refreshments included
Tea/Coffee and biscuits will be available during the session

Cost £45.00
Approximately 3hrs

Sessions
Saturday 1st August 11:30am – 3:00pm

Sunday 2nd August 11:30am – 3:00pm

Chef – Howard Dingwall

Howard began his culinary journey at just 16 years old, discovering a passion for cooking that would shape his entire career. After graduating from university, he moved to London to immerse himself in the capital’s world-class food scene. Over nearly a decade, Howard trained in some of London’s top kitchens, working alongside renowned chefs and refining his craft in high-pressure, high-standard environments.
Seeking to broaden his expertise, Howard returned north to deepen his experience in Michelin-level dining. His career expanded into large-scale banqueting, weddings, high-end events, and on-site corporate catering, delivering exceptional business lunches to clients with consistency and precision.
With a background spanning gastro pubs, AA Rosette establishments, and Michelin-acclaimed restaurants, Howard has developed a versatile and comprehensive skill set across all areas of professional catering. Today, he combines technical excellence with creativity and refined hospitality, offering elevated dining experiences rooted in years of dedication, discipline, and passion for exceptional food.

Tomato Breeder – Simon Crawford

I am a professional plant breeder and seedsman with wide ranging interests in plants and gardens. Recently I have been involved in a Gaia Foundation initiative to breed a new blight resistant tomato, now introduced as ‘Endurance’. A joint venture tomato breeding programme with Stockbridge Technology Centre near Selby has resulted in the introduction of a new bush tomato ‘Tough Cookie’ this year. In the past I developed tomatoes with the US seed company Burpee, which include Crimson Crush (Cloudy Days in the USA), Bountiful (Madame Marmande in the USA), Super Mama, Honeycomb, Cocktail Crush, Veranda Red, Consuelo, Nagina (Crimson Plum) and Cherry Baby. In the past I developed Red Alert for Asmer Seeds which was released in 1983 and Tumbler which was introduced and 1989. I have a strong interest in herbaceous perennials and serve on the RHS Herbaceous Plant Committee since 2005.

Brighter Blooms – Matthew Smith

The owner of Brighter Blooms and Fruit and Veg by Brighter Blooms, having graduated with a degree in Horticulture in 2002, Matthew is an experienced horticulturalist with 25 years experience in horticulture, out of which the last 15 years he spent developing the nursery and his show presence at numerous RHS and independent flower shows.

Matthew is best known for growing Zantedeschia, for which he has been awarded numerous RHS Gold medals, as well as Best in Show Award at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2023. But his passion for plants expands far further than the Zantedeschia genus; tulips and baby leaf salads are equally prominent in Matthew horticultural repertoire. The nursery in Preston, Lancashire, allows Matthew to employ his growing skills for edible plants both for showing at flower shows, but also for the field-to-table experience which he is passionate about. Employing organic growing principles where edibles are concerned, Matthew is always enthusiastic in sharing his knowledge and experience in growing such diverse groups of plants with gardening groups, clubs and societies.