The Burpee Europe team know how to get the pulses of gardeners going, and with Tomato ‘Burlesque’, hearts will be racing this year! This tomato is sassy and tasty and we know that you will love her as much as we do!!!
A Tomato Superstar!
This shapely variety is our new glamorous superstar, she is gorgeously juicy and no shrinking violet as she is very prolific. Lovingly bred by Burpee Europe, these large jewels of round, vibrant, pure-red 280–350g fruits entice with heirloom aromatics and tangy tomato sweetness.
How To Grow Tomato ‘Burlesque’Sun: Full Sun Height: 1.5-1.8 m Spread: 100 cm Fruit Size: 300 g Days to Maturity from transplant: 65-70 days Determinance: Indeterminate |
This beefsteak type tomato is best grown in a cold greenhouse or plastic tunnel and for these sowings can be made from mid-March onwards with planting in the greenhouse about five to six weeks later. However, ‘Which? Gardening’ trials at Capel Manor College in 2020 have shown that ‘Burlesque’ can be grown out-doors with some success and plants show a reasonable level of blight resistance. The large fruits start to ripen approximately eight weeks after planting in the greenhouse and a week or so later outdoors.
How Was ‘Burlesque’ Created?
This new large fruited tomato was developed by Burpee’s Dutch breeding team with a focus on smooth, rib-free fruit shape combined with a good flavour and some blight resistance for outdoor cultivation. Brix levels, measured at around 6% for Burlesque, represent the top end of the range for sugar levels in this fruit type. Although a little later than some varieties like Gignatomo or Knockout it was decided to introduce this variety because of its improved taste and very strong sales in the US in 2020 certainly gave us all the confidence to proceed with the introduction in Europe.
What’s Different About This Plant?
Ripening from early August, the large fruits are produced in clusters of three to four per truss. ‘Burlesque’ tomatoes are easy to pick and show no cracking. Excellent blight resistance makes this a useful beefsteak for outdoor growing in central and southern Europe.
Tomato & Mustard Tarte Recipe
But just how can you cook with ‘Burlesque’? This recipe is perfect for any medium to large tomato, so ideal for this variety. Devised by the chef Valerie Hamelin.
Ingredients:
- 1 pre rolled shortcrust pastry sheet
- 2 Tomato ‘Burlesque’ or around 500g
- 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 tbsp Gruyere cheese
- 1 packet pea shoots
- Olive oil for drizzle
- Salt & cracked pepper
Method:
- Place the pre-rolled pastry in a 10 inch diameter tarte mould.
- Blind bake the pastry at 180 degrees until the pastry is golden brown.
- Remove the tarte from the oven and spread the mustard on the base.
- Slice the tomatoes, and neatly place them on top of the cooked pastry, drizzled the olive oil ,add cracked pepper & herbes de Provence
- Place the tarte in the oven and cook until the tomatoes are soft and cooked.
- Grate the Gruyere cheese on top of the tomatoes and place back in the oven for another 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.
- Cut into quarters and serve.
To serve:
Place the tart on a plate, a board or a slate and dress with pea shoots, fresh herbs & drizzle of olive oil
Where Can You Plant Tomato ‘Burlesque’?
Greenhouse culture (north)
Outdoor plants (south)
Where Can You Buy Tomato ‘Burlesque’ seeds?
Suttons Seeds and Pennard Plants

Michael has been involved with gardening and plants since he was just five years old. He is a self-professed Plant Geek, and was listed in the Sunday Times top 20 most influential people in the gardening world, thanks to his plant hunter role at Thompson & Morgan.
Michael was responsible for new plant introductions such as the Egg and Chips plant and the FuchsiaBerry and keeps busy travelling the world in search of new plants as well as lecturing worldwide, including stints in Japan. He is very active on social media – so why not give him a follow at @mr_plantgeek or Facebook. You can also listen to The Plant Based Podcast with Michael and co-host Ellen-Mary on iTunes, Spotify and Google.