March Press release: British Tomato Fortnight
Released March 2025
Each year we run the British Tomato Fortnight (BTF) campaign which aligns with the peak of the British Tomato Season and highlights the fantastic quality and taste of British Tomatoes, their incredible versatility in many dishes, and supports our hardworking British Growers. Of course, the British Tomato Season runs much longer than a fortnight, starting in March and finishing off in November so we will be showcasing our wonderful industry across this period.
Campaign partners
We’re thrilled to be working closely with campaign partners again in 2025 to build on the success of last year’s activity. With their extensive experience promoting fruit and veg, they’ll be providing invaluable support through their wide consumer and influencer networks of foodies, lifestyle gurus, chefs and nutritionists.
Jack and Grace Communications - Our lead for the British Tomato Fortnight campaign, they have supported us for several years, building momentum on the yearly campaign and giving us a fantastic presence on social media and beyond, which they will develop further this year.
Veg Power campaign - The Veg Power campaign which focuses on encouraging kids to eat more veg and helping families improve their healthy eating habits. They will be supporting us on the BTF campaign by working with Jack & Grace to amplify our reach even further through their established media networks and chef/nutritionist influencers.
Key messages and objectives
Our main messaging remains focused on the delicious, premium taste of British tomatoes; versatility and the fantastic range of recipes tomatoes can star in; the benefits of eating British tomatoes for your health and supporting the UK industry. The bulk of activity will run from April, building up to the fortnight and rounding off in July, but we will be highlighting and promoting British Tomatoes throughout the season.
Our objectives
Promote the benefits of eating tomatoes – health, supporting British growers, local economy, sustainable and seasonal eating.
Highlight the hard work, talent and dedication of British Growers.
Get creative – share interesting, healthy, exciting recipes and encouraging consumers to get creative too, to engage with British tomatoes as a fantastic, versatile, star ingredient.
Spark conversations about flavour – British Tomatoes are delicious, and we want to highlight this by encouraging influences and consumers to taste & tell us all about it!
Audience
Everyone! Young people, parents and families, older consumers, foodies, and more - the versatility of tomatoes means that they can be enjoyed raw or cooked by all!
Growers – the true champions of our campaign.
Retailers – encourage retailers to get involved and champion British tomatoes at peak season, showing support for their suppliers.
Activity
Make the most of our social media networks and supporters - #britishtomatofortnight
- Engage with key influencers to highlight the fantastic taste of British tomatoes - eating them raw and using them in creative recipes to inspire their networks to do the same.
- Send enthusiastic social media supporters and foodies British Tomato drops, so they can experiment, post about their wonderful flavour and how they would use them. Share these stories and experiences across our networks and theirs.
- Engage with cooking groups and enthusiasts and ask how they use tomatoes!
- Back this activity up with a foodie giveaway to particularly engaged supporters.
Engage our grower members in the campaign – develop videos and Q&A about how they grow tomatoes, sustainability, a day in the life, their favourite way to eat tomatoes and more! Work with growers to involve their retailer customers in the campaign.
Work with key Partners that align to our values and support the British food industry to cross-promote during the season!
Development of new recipes alongside talented chefs and highlight our favourite and most popular previously created recipes.
We will be targeting traditional media, and pursuing support from other media contacts, including Saturday Kitchen, local and national TV, food magazines and radio and more!
Make the most of our website to highlight recipes and share interesting updates and information on the tomato season, health, grower experiences and recipes.
How can you support the campaign?
Of course, buy British Tomatoes (and seasonal British Produce) as often as you can to support British Growers and the industry! Encourage others to do so too.
Give us a shout out when and where you can:
i) Keep an eye on our social media channels and reshare posts
We will be posting on our various channels in the build-up and during the fortnight, and we will also have several influencers and chefs supporting the campaign this year. To help us out please follow, like and reshare posts on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.
ii) Take pictures and videos of yourselves, friends and family cooking with and enjoying tomatoes and share these on your social media. Tag us (@britishtomatoes) and use our hashtag (#britishtomatofortnight) to increase awareness of content. Alternatively, send them to us and we will share them!
What do you love about eating tomatoes? What’s your favourite type and why? What recipes do you love that use tomatoes?
Do you want to collaborate with us or have an idea to promote British Tomatoes through the campaign? Get in touch – nat.key@britishtomatoes.co.uk
i)Write a piece about British Tomato Fortnight – our wonderful industry, fantastic Tomatoes and the importance of supporting British Growers.
ii)We’d be happy to arrange an interview with ourselves or a grower to chat about the campaign, growing and eating tomatoes.