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Large, slightly ribbed fruits of heritage tomato ‘Marmande’, a classic French variety with rich Mediterranean flavour.

Tomato ‘Marmande’

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 Solanum Lycopersicum – 20 Seeds          

Tomato ‘Marmande’ is a traditional French heritage variety often seen piled high on market stalls across the south of France. It produces large, slightly ribbed fruits with superb flavour — sweet, rich, and so very French!

‘Marmande’ takes its name from the town of Marmande in south-west France — a region famous for tomato growing. Valued for its flavour and resilience in warm, dry climates, it remains one of Europe’s most treasured heritage varieties.

Although late to mature, Marmande is well worth the wait. It can be grown as either a cordon or bush type and performs beautifully in greenhouses or sunny, sheltered gardens. The fleshy fruits are perfect for slicing, sauces, or slow roasting.

The seeds should be sown indoors, mid winter to mid spring at 18-21°c. Pot on when plants are around 8cm tall and continue to pot on as they grow. Plant out when the risk of frost has passed.

Sow: Mid-winter – Mid-spring

Harvest: July – October

Position: Full sun

Spacing: 45 cm

Habit: Cordon or bush

Ideal for: Greenhouses · Kitchen gardens · French cooking

Seed Story

Tomatoes originate from South and Central America with wild tomatoes still found in the Andes. It is believed that they were part of the Aztec diet around 700AD.

They were brought to Europe by a Spanish explorer called Hernan Cortes. The Europeans were initially very wary of the tomato . As part of the nightshade family, it was believed to be poisonous and so was grown as an ornamental plant for a long time. 

Folklore said that if you ate a tomato its poison would turn your blood into acid – it is hard to believe that when today, people covet that flavourful heritage tomato salad in so many restaurants!

The Spanish commonly used the tomato in the 17th century – from there the Italians fell in love with it. In England although the plant was introduced in the late 1500s it wasn’t until the mid 18th century that we finally accepted it into our cuisine. 

The French referred to the tomato as pommes d’amour or love apples due to the perceived aphrodisiac properties of the tomato seeds.

Today there is a tomato for every cuisine and people the world over eagerly await the start of tomato season each year to enjoy this delightful fruit at its absolute best.

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