Frequently asked questions

Fat Tomato is Anthony O’Toole’s horticulture project, based in North Wexford, Ireland. It is an edible garden, honesty farm shop and food culture project shaped by the seasons.

Founded by well-known chef, writer and food & travel specialist Anthony O’Toole, Fat Tomato has been nearly a decade in the making. What began as a small experimental garden has grown into a living pantry, where heritage seeds are saved by hand and food is grown slowly, with flavour and biodiversity at the centre.

Each year, hundreds of rare, open-pollinated varieties are grown organically. From the garden comes a small, seasonal range of one-of-a-kind food gifts, condiments, cordials and garden seeds, all made in limited batches.

Alongside the garden and honesty shop, Fat Tomato also feeds into wider work around Irish food culture, hospitality and tourism.

Fat Tomato is led by a working garden, not a fixed product list. Everything begins with what is growing each season, which means our food gifts and seeds are always seasonal and limited.

We focus on flavour first, growing heritage and open-pollinated varieties chosen for taste, resilience and biodiversity rather than yield or uniformity. Seeds are saved by hand, ingredients are grown organically, and products are made in small batches.

Each item reflects a specific moment in the garden and a slower, more thoughtful way of growing and making food.

Yes. Fat Tomato specialises in one-of-a-kind food gifts inspired by what is grown and made in the garden throughout the year.

We offer a small, evolving range of gifts, including preserves, condiments, cordials and garden seeds. Christmas is our busiest gifting season, with a dedicated selection of seasonal food gifts and gift boxes released in limited quantities.

Because everything is made in small batches and shaped by the seasons, availability is always limited, and we recommend ordering early during busy periods.

Our food gifts are shaped by the garden and the seasons. They typically include small-batch preserves, condiments, cordials and ferments, alongside heritage garden seeds. View the available selection here.

Rather than large hampers or fixed collections, we focus on thoughtful, well-made gifts that feel personal and distinctive. Many customers choose Fat Tomato for birthdays, thank-yous, host gifts and Christmas.

Flavours and products change throughout the year, depending on what the garden provides.

Yes. Sustainability is central to how Fat Tomato works.

The garden is grown without chemicals, using organic principles, heritage seeds and peat-free compost. We prioritise biodiversity, soil health and seasonal growing over yield or uniformity.

Our food gifts are made with simple ingredients and minimal intervention, and packaging is kept recyclable or reusable wherever possible.

No. We don’t use additives or preservatives in any of our kitchen pantry products.

Everything is made using natural ingredients, almost all of them organic. We avoid commercial pectin in our jams and jellies because it isn’t organic and may involve chemical processing. Instead, we rely on natural pectin from organic citrus fruit and apples.

We use simple, honest ingredients - sea salt, our own vinegars, Irish raw honey and organic raw cane sugar - letting the flavour of the garden do the work.

Yes. Our Irish garden seeds are one of our most popular gifts. View our seed collection here.

They are heritage, open-pollinated varieties grown in our hillside garden and saved by hand. Many are unusual or hard to find elsewhere, making them a thoughtful gift for gardeners and food lovers.

Seeds are especially popular as organic gifts and Christmas stocking fillers, offering something that continues to grow long after the season has passed.

Yes. All of our seeds are grown without chemicals, peat or synthetic fertilisers, and come from certified organic plants. View our seed collection here.

Each variety is germination-tested and chosen for flavour, biodiversity and resilience, rather than uniformity or yield. Our seeds are saved by hand and grown in step with the seasons, just as they would be in a home garden.

Yes. Our hens are fully free range and live in the garden year-round. We keep a small flock of heritage chickens, guinea fowl, and ducks, all treated very much like family.

They’re fed organic grains, oyster shells and plenty of scraps from the garden and kitchen, alongside what they forage themselves. This varied diet and slow pace of life results in rich, nutrient-dense eggs.

Unlike most supermarket eggs, which come from hybrid hens bred for production rather than flavour, our eggs come from multiple breeds - including Devon, Leghorn and Bluebell - and vary naturally in size and colour, depending on the season and the bird.

“Rainbow eggs” simply refers to eggs that come in a range of natural shell colours and sizes.

Most eggs you’ll find in shops are laid by hybrid hens bred for high production rather than flavour. At Fat Tomato, our eggs are laid by a mix of breeds - including Devon, Leghorn and Bluebell - each of which lays eggs with different shell colours and characteristics.

Because the hens are free-range and fed a varied, natural diet, the eggs are rich, nutrient-dense, and naturally varied. Colour and size change with the bird, the season and the time of year - which is exactly how eggs are meant to be.

At present, Fat Tomato products are available exclusively through our Online Store and at our Edible Garden Honesty Farm Shop in North Wexford.

We are also beginning to supply a small number of carefully chosen independent retailers in Ireland and Europe. You can currently find selected Fat Tomato products at Adare Grocer, Health Connection, Picado Mexican, and 64 Wine.

Our stockists are chosen for their shared values around quality, provenance and good food, and availability may vary by location and season.

Orders can be placed directly through our Online Store. Products are added in small batches as they become available, so the range changes throughout the year.

During busy periods, particularly at Christmas, some items may sell out quickly. We recommend ordering early or joining a waiting list where available.

Yes. Many customers choose to send Fat Tomato gifts directly to friends, family and colleagues.

Orders can be placed through our online store and shipped straight to the recipient, making it easy to send thoughtful food gifts for birthdays, thank-yous and Christmas. All items are carefully packed and designed to travel well. We can include a lovely postcard with your personalised message as well.

Yes. Orders placed through our online store can be collected from our Honesty Farm Shop in North Wexford.

Please allow 24–48 hours for us to prepare your order. You’ll receive an email notification once it’s ready for collection.

As Fat Tomato is a working garden and honesty shop rather than a staffed retail space, collection is by arrangement.

Yes. We offer delivery across the island of Ireland and internationally through our trusted delivery partners.

All products in our kitchen and gifting ranges on our online store can be shipped internationally. Please note that garden seeds can only be shipped within Europe due to agricultural regulations.

For full details on shipping options, delivery times and returns, please visit our Delivery & Returns page.

Yes. Fat Tomato can be visited via our Honesty Farm Shop at the garden gate in North Wexford. The shop is stocked seasonally and offers visitors a chance to browse, slow down and see what’s growing and being made at that time of year.

The Honesty Farm Shop is open 7 days a week, usually from 10am to 7pm or 8pm, depending on the season.

In time, we’ll also host small-scale garden walks, tastings and food culture experiences, shaped by the rhythms of the garden rather than a fixed programme.

Yes. Our Edible Garden Honesty Farm Shop is open 7 days a week, Monday to Sunday.

Opening times change with the seasons, so we recommend checking our website or social channels before visiting to ensure the most up-to-date hours.

No, the garden itself is not open to the public.

However, we plan to offer small-scale garden tours, events and workshops in the future. These will be seasonal and shaped by the rhythms of the garden rather than a daily visitor schedule. Details will be shared on our website and mailing list when dates are confirmed.

Yes. We collaborate with a small, select group of chefs and artisan producers to grow and produce unique ingredients and flavours tailored to their needs.

These collaborations are shaped by the garden, the seasons and shared values around flavour, provenance and craftsmanship. Some are ongoing, others are one-off or experimental, and many happen quietly behind the scenes.

You never quite know where Fat Tomato might turn up next.

Our products change throughout the year, guided by the seasons and the harvest.

Some items return each year, while others are made just once. This seasonal approach is what makes Fat Tomato food gifts and garden seeds unique, but it also means availability is always limited.

No. Fat Tomato is led by a working garden, so availability changes with the seasons. Some products return each year, while others are made just once, depending on the harvest.

This seasonal approach is central to how we work and what makes our food gifts and garden seeds unique.