Do you remember the brilliant Heinz Tomato Ketchup ‘Grow Your Own’ campaign that ran this summer? It was all about encouraging every-day families just like ours to think about where their food comes from and to consider growing their own produce at home. Yes, at home! I can vouch that even with a teeny tiny garden, it is very possible.
With a little bit of magic from the lovely people at Heinz, who sent buckets of free Heinz tomato seeds out across the country, you’ve guessed it…there were tomato plants springing up everywhere! The results were quite breath taking, and you can see some of the most creative offerings here.
Getting our hands dirty with the Heinz Tomato Ketchup ‘Grow Your Own’ campaign was one of our top summer highlights of this year. Every day, we ventured out into our little garden to nurture our plants and watch for the little flowers which would eventually pop into tomatoes. Little Button was mesmerised, and come rain or shine, she braved the elements to patiently wait for her tomatoes to make an appearance. She even sang and danced for them, thinking that the happier they were, the sweeter they would taste.
We absolutely love Heinz Tomato Ketchup, so growing our own tomatoes was a great way of showing Little Button the time and effort that goes on behind the scenes to grow the main ingredient for her favourite sauce.
Pleased as punch with our results, on first tasting, Little Button confirmed “Yes! Our tomatoes taste like our ketchup”. She was so pleased to have grown her own for the first time.
Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, it did. Our tomatoes were chosen by Heinz to be made into our very own personalised bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup! Wow! Even now I am still stunned.
We had lots fun picking out our top tomatoes for the job. “Do you think this tomato would make a good Heinz Tomato Ketchup one” Little Button asked every now and again, whilst considering each in turn.
All packaged and ready to go, we excitedly waved off our home grown tomatoes as they were carefully transported to Heinz’s Culinary and innovation Centre to be produced.
Here it is! Our own personalised bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup made from our very own home grown tomatoes.
Our sauce turned out a rich red colour and just slightly less thick than the real deal. It tasted a bit different too. Amazing.
What better way to enjoy a good dollop of Heinz Tomato Ketchup than with traditional fish and chips. A taste of summer, well enjoyed.
A huge thank you to Heinz for making our summer by turning our home grown tomatoes into an extra special personalised bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup. Little Button is already planning what she will be growing next year.
Did you join in with the Heinz Tomato Ketchup ‘Grow Your Own’ Campaign this year?
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Wow congratulation Annette! That’s brilliant news. Little Button must be so thrilled. Such a great idea to get behind from Heinz too! Looks very tasty xx
Just popping back again through #DreamTeam. Thanks for hosting lovely x
That’s amazing! I think I missed this campaign though.
I love Heinz. It’s my preferred brand of ketchup especially for fries.
And I love eating raw tomatoes.
This is so awesome! Congrats on winning, I’d love to have my own personalised bottle of tomato ketchup (though would have to learn how to grow tomatoes first)! Thanks for linking up to #MarvMondays. Kaye xo
That is amazing! This campaign totally passed me by (I hadn’t even heard of it) but what a fab idea, and how fantastic that yours were then made into actual ketchup! Congratulations! Well done for your excellent gardening skills, Little Button. #DreamTeam
Ooh, your own ketchup – how exciting! We live in a flat so we don’t have a garden, but I hope we have a house one day so the Popple can experience growing her own veggies. I’m sure she’d love digging around in the dirt like her father (who’s an archaeologist). #DreamTeam
This is so awesome!! I didn’t even know about this but I’m excited to do it next year!
What a lovely idea. Your tomatoes have grown so well, no wonder they were picked. I hope you enjoy every drop of that bottle.
Sally @ Life Loving
Now that really is so cool! I love home grown tomatoes, but to actually have them made into personalised ketchup – speechless! Alison x #DreamTeam
What an amazing incentive! Love that personalised bottle! Gorgeous photos too! #DreamTeam
Amazing chick well done! I love this idea, and I hadn’t heard of the campaign before!! Brilliant – and love the chips and ketchup; a perfect reward! xx #DreamTeam
Wow this is amazing! Well done you!! I had no idea about this campaign, not that we would have entered as I can’t even keep a house plant alive, but how exciting to be a part of it!! I bet that ketchup tasted extra special! #dreamteam
What a great way of getting kids understanding where food comes from. I love growing tomatoes #dreamteam
Ah that’s amazing! Congratulations! How cool is eat to eat your own, home grown, Tommy sauce!
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Wow what a fabulous idea. Home grown food always tastes the best. #DreamTeam
Wow, that is amazing, well done. So cool to have tomato ketchup that is personalised like that and made from your own tomatoes #dreamteam
I had no idea Heinz was doing this campaign, it is such a good idea!
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That’s totally awesome. It’s almost a shame to eat the ketchup. I’d want to keep it as a memento. Lol. #dreamteam
That’s so amazing! We grew tomatoes this year and my little guy loved them but they looked nothing like yours! They looks delicious for sure. What a great campaigners from heinze. #DreamTeam
Jordanne || Thelifeofaglasgowgirl.co.uk
Brilliant lady! My family considers Katsup an actual food- like they would eat it with a spoon. I am kind of like that too. I out it on toast and cottage cheese.
We are a group of gross eaters over here.
This is amazing , I saw your pics on Instagram and it really inspired me to think about growing some vegetables of my own, something I have never tried. #Dreamteam
They look lovely! Something about homegrown tommies – they just taste so much better! #dreamteam
Ahhhh that’s so lovely. And good for Heinz showing children about food production. My husband is a teacher and I’m amazed at some of stories he tells me about children not knowing where food comes from.
Lovely post!
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Oh wow, I bet this seems like such a lovely achievement. And more importantly something you have all done together. I really want to do my own little garden next year, it’s on my to do list to look into. #dreamteam
Looks like a fab campaign! Well done you #DreamTeam
One year many moons ago we manage to grow amazing tomatoes but haven’t achieved it since. Maybe we’ll give it another go next year. #dreamteam
Wow! My 6 year old tomato ketchup loving girl would have loved this!!
Great post. #dreamteam
Congratulations! Great gardening skills there, the results look brilliant 🙂 we love ketchup xx #DreamTeam
Congratulations! This is great! The Heinz campaign somehow bypassed me completely, but I’d definitely have done it if I had known about it. Well done for winning; fancy having your very own home-grown Heinz ketchup bottle! Home-grown tomatoes are much tastier then shop bought ones, too… no idea why though! #dreamteam
What a cool idea! #DreamTeam
http://www.bigfitfam.com/compelling-alluring-blogging-me/
So cool! I love ketchup, not sure I’d be patient enough to grow my own though. #DreamTeam
There is nothing like the smell of home grown tomatoes – lovely pics and congratulations! #Dreamteam
Oh wow. What a great experience for and your little girl.
Wow, we grew toms this year thanks to Grandma green fingers. This looks like fun! #dreamteam
Congratulations! This is such a clever idea from Heinz. How cute that she sang and danced to them! And fantastic that you got your own personalised sauce, I bet it tastes all the sweeter for those dance moves x
#DreamTeam
That’s brilliant! What a great idea! I bet she was super pleased with the bottle you got. I really fancy fish & chips now!! 😀 #dreamteam
Such a great idea and those tomatoes look delish! Would love to try this with my little one but she’s allergic to tomatoes 🙁 Hopefully she’ll grow out of it and we can join the fun in the future. #DreamTeam
Sadly we were unable to take part as we didn’t spy the opportunity to take part until it was too late. Great to read about your experience. I’m in no doubt that it will have been educational – an alternative science class perhaps. #DreamTeam
Wow amazing! We did tomatoes for the first time this year and I was so impressed mine survived! Well done you guys #marvmondays
What a brilliant idea from Heinz and well done! Little button is so cute and looked pleased as punch with her tomatoes and bottle of sauce. Thank you for linking up to #ablogginggoodtime
What fantastic way of getting people to grow their own food – I love it! I also love home-grown tomatoes… there’s nothing quite like them, is there?
I am so impressed that Heinz made yours into ketchup, how utterly cool is that? And what a fantastic memory for LB too. And from Heinz’s point of view, what a genius way to inspire customer loyalty!
Thank you for sharing your lovely story and fantastic photos… I’m off to read more of your blog now. Have a fantastic weekend!
#BrillBlogPosts
Wow your own bottle of ketchup using your own tomatoes! Amazing! We had so much fun growing our own tomatoes this summer but somehow totally missed this campaign..hopefully we can get involved next year. Thanks for linking up to #coolmumclub lovely x
Wow, I am very envious – having ketchup made from your own tomatoes is awesome. You’ll enjoy it all the more! I hadn’t heard of this campaign but will look out for it next summer if the do it again. We grew tomatoes though and my 1 year old has loved picking them recently. It’s good for kids to help grow! #CoolMumClub
This is super cool! Lovely to get little ones involved in gardening too. Pining for the spring now! #DreamTeam
Wow this is such a fab idea, I love it! What a fantastic idea for the kids and gorgeous pictures as ever – LB looks so cute!! xxx #dreamteam co-host
Wow what a great campaign to get involved in! Theres is nothing better than growing your own fruit and veg. Something I’d love to start doing with our little ones once our garden is sorted and ready to grow things 🙂 Such gorgeous pictures. Emily #DreamTeam
I love this post. Such a cool idea and sounds like you all enjoyed the experience #dreamteam