A brand new garlic which originates close to the Czech city of Pilsen, famous for its beers, has been introduced by mail order kitchen garden specialist D. T. Brown for the 2015/16 growing season. Topinky Wight takes its name from the Czech topinky, a popular snack or starter of deep-fried, dense brown bread served with garlic cloves for rubbing over it.

Topinky has been enjoyed by generations in the Czech Republic. Tim Jeffries of D. T. Brown claims Topinky Wight has the strongest, spiciest flavour of any garlic he has tasted.

"It really has a pungent flavour, and is perfect for adding a true garlic 'kick' to casseroles and sauces", says Tim. "Topinky's growth is similarly robust, and the lovely, plump bulbs it produces have attractive purple stripes. It's also really good for making the British 'take' on garlic bread, especially when enjoyed with a glass of cold Czech beer!"

Topinky Wight is a hardneck garlic, and is well suited to autumn planting for producing a crop as early as June the following summer. The strong single flower shoots (scrapes) they produce in early summer should be removed and eaten before the bulbs are harvested. A pack of two bulbs of garlic Topinky Wight costs £6.95 To request a copy of the recently published Fruit and Vegetables Catalogue 2016, please write to D. T. Brown, Western Avenue, Matrix Park, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 7NB, telephone 0845 3710532, or go online at www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk