Leek Musselburgh

Developed in the town of Musselburgh on the Firth of Forth in 1834 and grown continuously ever since — longer than a good many countries have existed. If a British gardener has grown one leek, the odds are it was this one, and the RHS Award of Garden Merit reflects why.

The shanks are thick and substantial, up to 5cm across and 30cm long, with broad green flags above. The flavour is the classic British leek: sweet, mild, fully flavoured without any harshness.

Its particular virtue is that it does not go coarse. Some leeks turn fibrous if left too long in the ground, but Musselburgh holds its quality from October right through to April, so you can lift as you need rather than harvesting everything at once. Drop the seedlings into a dibbed hole and fill the hole with water rather than soil — the shank blanches white as the soil falls in around it.