Community is one of the most important things to our business. We wouldn't be where we are today without you. Every person who buys our products, engages with our social posts, reads our emails, you're all playing a key part in building something bigger. We recently met member of our community who is a very impressive young entrepreneur when he got in touch with an idea for us to collaborate, and we wanted to share his inspiring story with you.
Meet Jacob. He is fourteen and he runs The Tomato Cart. He found a greenhouse on Freecycle, saved his pocket money for a trailer base, and built a cart with his dad so he could sell tomato plants he had grown from seed at local markets and car boot sales. He grows thousands of plants a year around his schoolwork, and he cares more about whether your tomatoes ripen than whether you buy anything from him.
When he approached us about offering our cold-pressed seaweed alongside his own plants and kits, it made complete sense. He already used it on everything he grew. We are proud to be part of what he is building, and prouder still to get to share his story, in his own words:
"My biggest goal is to inspire more people, especially younger generations, to grow something for themselves. Whether it is tomatoes, herbs or vegetables, learning where food comes from and experiencing the satisfaction of growing something from seed to plate is a real win."
Where it all began
We absolutely loved Jacob's story of getting started. It shows true entrepreneurial spirit and drive. Not only that, but the support Jacob's had from both customers and businesses shines a lovely light on how incredible the gardening community is.
"The Tomato Cart really started during Covid, when my family decided to turn our vegetable patch into a growing competition. Everyone else's plots struggled, but mine kept going. That was when I realised how much I enjoyed growing plants, and that I was actually quite good at it.
A few years later, my brother started a paper round and began earning money. I wanted to earn my own money too, but I liked the idea of building something myself. I started talking to my dad about having my own garden centre one day, filled with plants I had grown. I decided tomatoes were the perfect place to start, because they are fun to grow and tasty to eat.
I found a greenhouse on Freecycle, which my dad and I collected two days before my 13th birthday in December 2024. That was when The Tomato Cart really began. After saving up my pocket money, I bought an old trailer base from Gumtree and built the cart with my dad. It meant I could cycle to local car boot sales and markets to sell my tomato plants directly to customers.
With lots of support and advice from Nick at Just Seed, I was able to grow a wide range of tomato plants, from well-known favourites to more unusual varieties, and help people choose the ones that would work best in their own gardens.
The best part was seeing people come back and tell me how well their tomatoes had grown, or sharing photos of their first harvest. It made all the time spent sowing seeds, caring for plants and preparing them for sale feel worthwhile.
Since then, The Tomato Cart has continued to grow. I now have my own website and sell online through Etsy, so I can help even more people enjoy growing their own plants. Because the tomato plant selling season is quite short, I started thinking about ways to keep the business going through the rest of the year. That is where the idea for 'grow your own' kits came from, along with 'Adopt a Tomato' keyrings and, more recently, Shropshire Seaweed's cold-pressed seaweed fertiliser."
Growing, Learning and Challenges Along the Way
Business owners and growers alike will relate to the challenges that we face day in, day out. We truly admire Jacob's approach that it's a continuous journey and he tackles every challenge head on.
"Running a business while I am at school can be busy, but it never really feels like work because I enjoy it so much. My parents help keep everything balanced and remind me that school comes first, although watering my plants before school is always a priority.
One of the biggest challenges has been growing thousands of plants while dealing with the unpredictable British weather. Growing tomatoes means coping with everything from freezing cold nights to heat waves. Before I had greenhouse heaters, I used to bring plants into the house overnight to protect them from the cold. It was a lot of work, but it was also part of learning what it takes to grow healthy plants and finding solutions when things do not go to plan.
When I first started selling at markets, one of my biggest worries was that people would not take me seriously because of my age. I was nervous about approaching customers and explaining what I was selling, and making videos for social media felt strange at first too. Over time, though, people's support has helped me become much more confident in myself and what I am doing."
Proud Moments
In just a short space of time running The Tomato Cart, Jacob's achieved a lot: building a community and inspiring others to get growing, alongside working to continually improve his offering. We loved hearing about some of his proudest moments.
"The best part about growing plants is seeing something start as a tiny seed and end up as food you can actually eat. At first you are checking the soil every day for the first green shoot, and before long you are waiting for flowers, then tomatoes, and finally your first harvest.
One of my favourite moments so far was visiting the RHS Sandringham Flower Show, where I got to meet Rekha Mistry, Ade Sellars and Alan Titchmarsh. I introduced myself, told them all about The Tomato Cart and explained how it started, which was both exciting and slightly nerve-racking.
I have also been lucky enough to be featured in podcasts, local newspapers and on radio stations, including BBC Radio Norfolk and BBC Look East. This exposure has helped more people discover my business across the region and beyond.
The best part of running the business is meeting people who are just as interested in growing as I am. I love talking about tomatoes, helping customers choose the right plants for their gardens and hearing how they get on. It is especially brilliant when people come back later and tell me how well their tomatoes have grown.
Most of what I have learned has come from having a go, making mistakes, reading gardening magazines, watching videos and learning from other growers. Social media has also helped me connect with people who are much more experienced than me. Whether it is growing a new variety, going to a market, launching a product or saying yes to an opportunity, you learn by trying.
I have also learned how important it is to listen. Feedback from customers and followers has helped shape new ideas and improve what I do."
Why The Shropshire Seaweed Company?
Jacob got in touch with us earlier in the year to talk about a potential collaboration. He felt that our two businesses shared the same values and would be a good fit. We met him and his parents on a video call and were instantly captivated by his story, so we agreed to send him a box of unlabelled bottles in the first instance so that he could work on a co-branded label. Seeing the project come to life from talking through the concept on a call to the bottles being labelled up in Jacob's hands has been very rewarding. We asked him why he chose us for this opportunity, and here's what he said:
"Collaborating with The Shropshire Seaweed Company has been a natural partnership. I am always looking for ways to help people grow healthier plants, so being able to offer their cold-pressed product alongside my own made perfect sense.
What stood out to me about Shropshire Seaweed was how much their values matched my own. They are passionate about helping people grow naturally, creating high-quality products and working with nature rather than against it.
It is a product I genuinely believe in and use for all my plants, so I am really pleased to be able to recommend it to customers who are looking for natural ways to grow happy, healthy plants."
What's Next for The Tomato Cart?
We know that this is just the start of something huge for Jacob, and are looking forward to supporting him along the way. We'd love to see him with his own garden centre one day, and with his work ethic and commitment, he's certainly on the path to making that dream a reality. But first, GCSEs!
"This year I am starting my GCSEs, so school will be my main focus, but I am excited to keep growing The Tomato Cart, develop new ideas and continue working with The Shropshire Seaweed Company.
I would love to keep expanding the range of products I offer, attend more local markets and events, and encourage even more people to have a go at growing their own food. You can usually find The Tomato Cart throughout the growing season, with upcoming dates shared on my website and social media pages.
My biggest goal is to inspire more people, especially younger generations, to grow something for themselves. Whether it is tomatoes, herbs or vegetables, learning where food comes from and experiencing the satisfaction of growing something from seed to plate is a real win."
Why we backed The Tomato Cart
We typically don't co-brand our bottles and have had a few requests to do so over the years. We said yes to this unique opportunity because of how he grows. He feeds his plants with seaweed because he has seen what it does for roots and resilience, not because anyone told him to. He tells customers the truth about what will work in their garden. And he is trying to get more people, especially younger ones, to grow something for themselves and understand where food comes from. Those are our reasons for existing too.
Supporting The Tomato Cart means a great deal to us. If a fourteen-year-old on a bike can build something this good from a Freecycle greenhouse and a lot of care, there's hope yet. We are glad to be growing alongside him.
Follow The Tomato Cart
You can follow The Tomato Cart's journey, keep up with growing updates, new products and upcoming market dates through:
Website: www.thetomatocart.carrd.co
Instagram: @thetomatocart
Facebook: The Tomato Cart
TikTok: @tomato.cart
YouTube: Tomato Cart
X: @tomato_cart
Etsy: etsy.com/shop/TheTomatoCart
