The Guernsey Tomato

For 110 years, one of Guernsey's biggest industries was the cultivation and export of the Guernsey tomato, affectionately known as the "Guernsey Tom".

Just when the tomato first arrived in Guernsey, nobody really knows for sure.

Native to South America, the tomato was first grown in Europe as a decorative plant as the fruit was believed to be poisonous.

A newspaper in England published an article around 1864 claiming research proved that the tomato was not only edible, but that could also be beneficial to one's health.

Only one year later, Guernsey was exporting tomatoes to the UK.

Guernsey already had grape growing industry, but by 1880 greenhouses were being built specifically for growing the Guernsey tomato.

Come the early 20th century, the Guernsey grape growing industry was giving way to the production of the Guernsey tomato and as Guernsey ship building began to fall into decline, Guernsey carpenters and boat builders diversified into greenhouse construction.

Guernsey tomatoes were originally packed in wicker baskets lined with different coloured tissue paper to define the different grades of fruit. These were exported primarily to England and the empty wicker baskets shipped back to Guernsey for re-use. Wooden chip-baskets later replaced the wicker.

On the 28th June 1940, 3 German bombers attacked Guernsey's St. Peter Port Harbour believing that the tomato export trucks lined up on the quay were in fact military vehicles. This resulted in 33 deaths and 67 injuries.

During the late 1960's, nearly half a billion Guernsey tomatoes were hand-picked, hand-graded, hand packed and exported to England.

Rising oil prices in the 1970's meant rising production costs of the "Guernsey Tom" and importing from Holland instead of Guernsey proved more economical for the UK market.

Although some Guernsey growers have moved production to other fruit, vegetables and flowers, a lot of Guernsey's vineries have fallen into disrepair and derilication and the days of the Guernsey tomato industry have sadly faded into nostalgia.