Growing our own ketchup !

I love the idea of teaching the Madhouse kids where their food comes from before it arrives on their plates. I wouldn't go as far as Gordon Ramsay and buy a pig to fatten up and then slaughter to show them where meat comes from, but we do often go for a wander around the local farmers' market and check out all the different fruits and vegetables and we grow everything we can - cherry tomatoes, raspberries, mint, chives, blackcurrants, ... - on our patio. I was therefore delighted to learn about Heinz Tomato Ketchup encouraging families to ‘Grow Their Own’. 

After setting up pop-up miniature gardens in several cities, designed by visionary pothole gardener Steve Wheen, to tell the story of how Heinz seeds start their journey, they have turned their attention to British families - including us - and sent through a lovely pack of gardening goodies, along with some tomato seeds.

Pierre was totally over the moon when he saw the teeny tiny gardening implements because he said that they are just the right size for his fairy friend. He's quite right too !

The trouble with seeds, though, is that they take a long time to grow. When we grew cress recently, Pierre was constantly going back and forth to the kitchen to see if anything was happening and found the time long, even though it only took a few days for the seeds to sprout. Heinz therefore helped us out by providing some colourful blooms to create an instant mini garden.

Unfortnately they didn't travel well !

It did give Pierre the perfect opportunity for getting stuck in and replanting the flowers though and they've had lots of lovely rain (lovely for them but not for us !) to help them settle in. We've just got to wait for the tomato seeds to burst into life now !

If you have green-fingered children and fancy getting involved in this year's Grow Your Own campaign, Heinz have come up with a totally unique prize : the chance to have your tomatoes made into Heinz ketchup ! To enter the competition, families need to upload pictures of their efforts to the official Heinz UK Facebook page to be in with a chance of being that one lucky winner. Chosen at the end of August, the winner, and their tomatoes, will be picked up by Heinz Tomato Ketchup and  transported to Heinz’s Culinary and Innovation Centre to be produced. The winner will then receive a special version of the classic glass bottle filled with their home grown Heinz Tomato Ketchup, complete with a unique personalised label. There will also be a number of runners up prizes, with gardening hopefuls having the chance to win high quality gardening tools – such as watering cans, wheelbarrows, trowels and gardening gloves – plus much more!

To get inspired and find out more about the Grow Your Own campaign visit: www.facebook.com/HeinzUK.

Discosure : We received a gardening set in order to take part in the Grow Your Own campaign.