Black Cherry has been crowned the best tasting heirloom tomato in Australia by a panel of gardening superstars and food experts at Heronswood House and Gardens, the home of the Diggers Foundation on the Mornington Peninsula.
The well known heirloom variety – Black Cherry – was a stand out for the official taste test panel who were brought together to taste and rate the best heirloom tomatoes in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the first Diggers Great Tomato Taste Test.
Diggers Club and Foundation chief executive officer Tim Sansom said, “The panel have rated heirloom varieties of tomatoes for their taste, texture and appearance. It’s been great to see some of our tried and trusted varieties come through as clear favourites.”
Over 65 heirloom tomato varieties had been grown in preparation for the event.
“The best tasting tomatoes are often the smallest and Black Cherry was a standout in the Cherry Tomato category. They are highly productive, easy to grow and work in salads, lunch boxes and as garden snacks straight from the vine in gardens around Australia,” said Sansom.
“The Diggers Foundation is preserving biocultural treasures like heirloom seeds to ensure they don’t disappear. By growing and saving seed of these precious heirlooms we can make sure that they will be accessible to future generations,” said Sansom.
The Diggers Club is Australia’s largest community of gardeners, working together to create beautiful and productive gardens for a sustainable future.
All profits raised by the Diggers Club are contributed to the Diggers Foundation to preserve historic gardens and preserve heirloom seeds and plants.
This years official taste test panel comprised many distinguished guests, including Blayne Bertoncello from O.MY Restaurant (Good Food Guide Best Restaurant of the Year 2024), gardening royalty, Jane Edmanson and Costa Georgiadis, acclaimed organic gardener Phil Dudman, author of Preserving the Italian Way Pietro Demaio, VicHealth CEO Sandro Demaio, and three of the participants in the very first Diggers tomato taste test in 1993 – garden writer Peter de Waart and co-founders of the Diggers Club and Foundation Penny Blazey and Clive Blazey.