The Secrets of a Truly Great Tomato Ketchup

Nigel Slater is quoted as saying: “Pamper a Tomato – over water it, over feed it and you will get (and these are Nigel’s words) a Paris Hilton of a tomato.”

Rick (Stokes’ founder, MD and Ketchup aficionado) has quite a thing about the quality of the tomatoes we put in our Award-Winning Tomato Ketchup.

“My name is Rick and I’m a ‘chupaholic. That said, not any old Tomato Ketchup – it has to be the finest. Our Tomato Ketchup was the second product we produced after the Real Mayonnaise. It came just at the right time to encourage my daughter to eat more greens.”

It is thanks to Rick’s passion for perfection that we get to enjoy this delightfully thick, intensely tomatoey Tomato Ketchup and its brothers and sisters in Stokes’ amazing Ketchup Range.

Tomatoes originally came from Paraguay, which is where we started our search. In fact, we tried tomatoes from everywhere, all over the world.

Rick and the team discovered that the best tasting tomatoes were the product of a number of different growers in southern Italy. The beautiful plump, sweet fruit ripen below the Mediterranean sunshine until they’re ready to pick.

They were and are a bit more expensive than some other sources but our mantra is always to be “Best in Class” – no compromise.  

With the ‘quality’ box ticked, we decided to up the volume, simmering a massive 212g of those juicy tomatoes, reduced into every 100g of ketchup to make Stokes Tomato Ketchup.

Savour the rich tomato taste then feel the heat of the spices kicking in from our Chilli Ketchup. For smoky background notes and another warming finish, our Chipotle Ketchup uses Chipotle Chillies, which are Jalapenos left to ripen on the plant to a deep red, before being smoked, giving them their distinctive flavour.

Stokes Curry Ketchup marries the rich tomato tastes with classic curry spices including coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, ginger, cumin, and green cardamom.

Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup is pure beauty in a bottle, adding a shot of vodka and a unique blend of Bloody Mary spices, perfect for that ‘morning after’ bacon sandwich.

Try mixing it with our Real Mayonnaise for a Bloody Mary Rose Sauce to give prawn cocktails a real treat.

The Ultimate Ketchup Tasting Collection is perfect for ketchup fans.

The gift pack includes a 300g full-size bottle of Stokes’ hero product, our Tomato Ketchup. It is packed with 212g of plump, sweet Italian tomatoes reduced lovingly into each 100g of wonderfully thick ketchup. It never ceases to please.

Compare that to these mini jars of our favourite ketchup varieties: Bloody Mary Ketchup is for anyone with a taste for really good ketchup. It’s our classic tomato ketchup with a shot of real vodka, a splash of Worcestershire sauce and a twist of Bloody Mary spice …

… “A Bloody Mary in a ketchup!” said the Great Taste Award Judges.

The Chipotle Ketchup is a ‘foodie enigma’, another award-winning variation on the best. It is brimful of real Italian tomatoes with the smoky, spicy kick of chipotle chillies! “A full-bodied ketchup with layers of flavour.”

Our mini Chilli Ketchup balances the same thick rich Italian tomatoes with a punchy chilli finish. And the fourth mini jar is more of the best … Tomato Ketchup.

Order your Delicious Gifts – HERE.