Lee Stiles saw 10 growers leave 'London's salad bowl' last year as they struggled to make ends meet. He expects a similar number in his Lea Valley Growers Association to shut down shop this year as costly energy bills push them under. Stiles fears British tomatoes will be late to our baskets this spring, with less choice and higher prices. "There will be fewer British tomatoes on the shelves," he says. The National Farmers' Union has warned that this year there could be the lowest production of British tomatoes since 1985, after hefty rises in the cost of production – including energy to heat and light greenhouses – forced many growers to make cuts, mothball greenhouses or shut down altogether.

Source: The Guardian April 14, 2023 12:47 UTC