On Forced Yorkshire Rhubarb

plus a recipe for rhubarb crumble

Almost two years ago now, in March 2022, my then-head chef, Elizabeth, and I were invited by Natoora (who supply all our fruits and vegetables at Violet) to visit Tomlinson’s Farm in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, where the perfectly named Rhubarb Robert holds court. One of only a handful of farms left that still practice rhubarb forcing, Tomlinson’s has been in the trade for nearly a century and a half, and it’s from them that we receive boxes of incredible bright pink stalks that become buttercream, muffins, and soda here at the bakery.

Growing up, rhubarb wasn’t a huge deal for me – in the United States we mainly have the type that’s grown outdoors, and more often than not it’s relegated to pies and paired with strawberries and vanilla. There are some “hothouse” rhubarb producers in Washington state, but the colour is more a deeper red than shocking pink. When I moved to London, I found the sense of pride with which the Brits embraced rhubarb a little strange to be honest, but over two decades later I’ve come to really understand it.