Coconut Drinking Each

The tomato grown for flavour above everything else. Heirloom varieties are open pollinated heritage tomatoes that prioritise taste over shelf life and uniformity, and the difference on the palate is unmistakable. Complex, deeply flavoured and genuinely extraordinary at their peak, they are the tomato that reminds you why tomatoes are worth getting excited about.

At their absolute best from November through April when warm Australian growing conditions give heritage varieties the long slow ripening they need to develop full flavour complexity. This is your window and it is worth making the most of it.

Do not be put off by an irregular shape, a deep ridge or a crack at the shoulder. That is not a flaw. It is what a tomato grown for flavour rather than appearance looks like, and the eating quality is the proof.

Slice thickly and serve simply with good olive oil, flaky salt and fresh basil. That is all a genuinely great heirloom tomato needs. Or layer through a sandwich with sourdough and good mayonnaise, use as the base of a sauce where the flavour complexity carries through cooking, or serve on a board alongside burrata and torn bread for something that needs no introduction.

Look for fruit that feels heavy for its size with a fresh tomato fragrance at the stem. That smell is your signal every time.