Heirloom Tomatoes in the UK: The Ultimate Grower’s Guide (2025)
Heirloom tomatoes are a must-grow for UK gardeners who crave flavour, history, and variety. Unlike modern F1 hybrids, heirloom tomatoes offer open-pollinated genetics, unique colours, and unforgettable taste profiles—perfect for home growers, heritage gardeners, and seed savers.
In this definitive UK-focused guide, we’ll cover some of the best heirloom tomato varieties for British gardens and how to grow them successfully in our climate.
How Genetically Stable are Heirloom Tomatoes?
Heirloom / heritage tomatoes are considered generally genetically stable as long as they are grown in isolation from other varieties and allowed to pollinate within their own type. This stability supports them to produce seeds that grow true to the parent plant, making them more reliable for seed saving. Minor natural variations may occur, but overall, they are typically dependable in maintaining their unique characteristics across generations.