Grow your own Black Beauty eggplant with Mr Fothergill’s Seeds. Black Beauty Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is one of the very best varieties, not least because of its dark purple fruit—nearly black, hence the name—which has an outstanding earthy flavour.

Its texture is smooth and tender, too, so it can add smoothness to soups or stars all on its own when grilled or roasted. Black Beauty eggplant is perfect for Mediterranean recipes like rich and hearty moussaka or creamy baba ganoush. It is an early and prolific cropper that thrives in sunny, sheltered positions in rich and well-drained soil with added fertiliser.