On 5 November, Cooperativa La Palma hosted a new edition of Fruitnet's Tomato Congress. Yuksel Seeds played a prominent role, not only as a sponsor but also as a speaker. Nico van Vliet, Downstream Integration Lead at Yuksel Seeds, focused his talk on the Heirloom tomato and its room for growth, in both sales and uses, without taking the spotlight away from the cherry tomato.
Van Vliet began with a striking fact. On Instagram and TikTok, the Heirloom is the second most-posted type of tomato, behind only the cherry. In the supermarket, however, it ranks ninth in sales, in both Europe and Asia, far behind cluster and cherries tomatoes.
"Social media is used mainly by Generation Z and millennials. If they are already showing an interest in the Heirloom, there is an opportunity for growth in the coming years," Van Vliet explained.
Why the Heirloom is not reaching the shelves
Van Vliet explained why this interest is not translating into sales. Many supermarket buyers see the Heirloom as a tomato that ripens very quickly and unevenly, and that is also expensive. In addition, shoppers in northern Europe tend to shop weekly, and if the tomato becomes overripe within a few days, it ends up in the bin.
That is why Yuksel Seeds is working on varieties that keep flavour as the absolute priority, with greater firmness and juiciness. These tomatoes last longer in store or at home, which means less waste and a more affordable product.
Van Vliet also highlighted the importance of resistance to the tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). The Heirloom is still a small segment, and growers and supermarkets are introducing it gradually, with limited volumes available. If the virus affects those crops, supply is cut off and all the work done to win the product a place in stores is lost.
Data and storytelling to sell more Heirloom
The other half of the challenge, in Van Vliet's view, lies in communication. "As a seed company, we can offer great varieties and plenty of data, but we also need to give our customers more storytelling so that they can pass it on to supermarkets and consumers," he said.
With this in mind, Yuksel Seeds has developed a toolkit for growers and distributors. Alongside the agronomic characteristics of each variety, the toolkit provides information designed for supermarkets, such as data on waste, repeat purchases and availability throughout the year.
It also includes the flavour profile, with acidity data as well as Brix levels, because the flavour of the Heirloom does not depend on sugar alone. On top of this come cooking ideas and food pairings, so that purchases are not just made on impulse, and, for the purple varieties, measured levels of anthocyanins and lycopene.
Sweetloom, an Heirloom awarded for its flavour
Sweetloom, Yuksel Seeds' initiative to bring the Heirloom to supermarkets, is the best example of this approach. It is already sold in Spain, Canada, Poland and Belgium, among other countries, and in 2025 and 2026 it received three stars from the International Taste Institute, the highest recognition this body awards for flavour. It has also won an award at Fresh Market in Poland. With Sweetloom, Yuksel Seeds aims to show that the Heirloom can move from social media trend to a permanent place at the point of sale.
