Brad's Atomic Grape Tomatoes

These bonkers looking tomatoes were part of our trials in 2022 and as soon as we bit into one we knew we’d have to grow them again. They were bred in California by Brad Gates (known as the “Willy Wonka” of tomato breeding) and immediately won Best in Show at The National Heirloom Exposition. We were a bit concerned they’d be photogenic but wishy-washy taste wise, so were pleased when we found their exceptional, smokey-sweet flavour on a par with their technicolour skins. Counterintuitively, the fruits (which really do taste more like stone fruits than vegetables), start out a deep indigo which darkens to almost black, then turns like a tie-dye t-shirt with olive green, rusty orange and sunny yellow streaks. The best way to tell if yours are perfectly ripe and ready to slice is to ignore the topsy-turvy colours and give them a little squeeze - they’re ready if they yield under pressure, even if their insides are far from red.