Producer of the Month - June 2011 - Jim Craig

The Earthy Producer of the Month

Jim Craig

Jim Craig is one of the last of a once mighty breed, the Clyde Valley tomato grower. Up until the 1930’s the region was Scotland’s orchard, with acres of apple trees, some stretching back for hundreds of years. Seeing their livelihoods whittled away by cheaper English & continental imports the farmers embarked on what is still reckoned to be the biggest single investment in Scottish agricultural history – they built state of the art, water heated greenhouses of a size & scale never seen before. So successful was the gamble that, by the 1950’s the Clyde Valley was synonymous with tomato production, but just as in the 30’s, growers in the 60’s & 70’s found themselves undercut as better transportation allowed Spanish & Italian growers to deliver their tomatoes all over Europe.

Always price conscious, supermarkets squeezed the pricier, but fresher and better tasting Scottish tomatoes off the shelves. Facing this huge drop in demand dozens of the Clyde Valley growers either sold out to garden centres & nurseries or simply allowed their majestic green houses to fall into disrepair & collapse. Slowly, but surely, however, a mini revival is occurring. Spurred on by the increased consumer desire for local produce, growers like Jim are circumventing the supermarkets to sell directly to the public either at farmers markets or at stores like Earthy where the fuller flavour and firmer texture that only fresh Scottish tomatoes can provide are appreciated. Jim admits that Scottish tomatoes are now a niche product, but that allows them to specialise in heritage varieties & even expand his range to include strawberries and cucumbers.

Available from late April until early November, Jim Craig’s tomatoes are a taste of the past. So next time you are hankering for tomatoes ‘like they used to be’ try one of Jim’s.