Wild side
TOM MARCHANT • Black Tomato
WORK • Wednesday Routine
TOM MARCHANT • co-founder • Black Tomato
Neighbourhood you work in: Fulham & Chelsea
Neighbourhood you live in: Fulham
It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I’m the co-founder of Black Tomato, a luxury travel company designing deeply personal, immersive journeys. I split my time across brand, product and strategy, so my mornings are usually a mix of numbers and ideas. On Wednesdays, I’m at Lighthouse Social in Fulham, a members’ club overlooking the Thames that’s just a short moped ride from home. I arrive with a flat white, find a quiet corner and start by checking how we’re tracking across markets and catching up with our London and New York teams.
I try to protect a stretch of proper focus time before meetings take over. I’m a big believer in Cal Newport’s deep work philosophy, so I block space for longer-term thinking and planning. Just before lunch, I head out for a run along the Thames Path, which clears my head.
What’s on the agenda for today?
I’m preparing for a new episode of The Pursuit of Feeling, the podcast I host, where we explore a single emotion and why it drives us to travel. Off the back of our recent This Is Boring campaign, I’m also helping shape a seven-day Brazilian Amazon journey built around space, stillness and proper disconnection. I like staying close to the creative side of the business.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
It usually starts at The Brown Cow [closed for renovations until May -ed.], about 30 seconds from my front door. The staff know my kids’ names and it has that proper neighbourhood feel. For somewhere a bit more polished, The Harwood Arms is hard to beat. It’s Michelin-starred but still feels like a proper pub, and their Sunday roast is the best in London. Lately, I’ve been going to Josephine in Chelsea. It has that relaxed Parisian brasserie feel, without trying too hard. For something more classic, Fifty Cheyne with its views of the river never loses its magic.
How about a little leisure or culture?
I love getting lost in Richmond Park. You pass herds of deer and for a moment it feels like you’re deep in the countryside. For music, I recently saw The Last Dinner Party at Brixton Academy and it reminded me why the venue is so special. There’s so much history and when a crowd is fully into it, you really feel it. On slower weekends, I’ll take my daughters to Tate Britain. They’re honest critics! We move from Turner to the more abstract stuff and then straight into the dress-up room. Culture should be fun, not just serious.
Any weekend getaways?
Heckfield Place is an easy escape when I need a reset. Within a few hours, you’re sleeping better and breathing deeper. The food comes straight from the estate and there’s not much to do beyond walking, eating and switching off, which is exactly the point. Salcombe is another favourite, partly because of my family history but it’s also a beautiful stretch of coastline. Long walks along the estuary, cold swims if you’re feeling brave, then a pub at the end of the day.
What was your last great holiday?
We went to Sri Lanka, along the south coast, and split our time between Galle, Weligama and Tangalle. In Galle, we’d wander the fort in the evenings; in Weligama, mornings were for surfing (trial and error). Tangalle was slower: long beach walks, grilled seafood at Smoke & Bitters, lots of rice and curry. We stayed at one of the beautiful houses within The Six, right by the ocean – it was bliss. We drove into Yala National Park and saw elephants moving through the scrub and a leopard appear out of nowhere, which was unforgettable. What stays with me most is the people: warm, curious and generous.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
My electric moped from Horwin has changed how I move around London. I’ve got my eye on an electric motorcycle from Maeving next.
What store or service do you always recommend?
I’m an avid reader, so I’m always recommending Daunt Books for its thoughtful curation and knowledgeable staff.
Where are you donating your time or money?
While we’ve historically supported micro projects in communities we operate in, including Morocco and Peru, we’re excited to have recently launched a partnership with Global Fund for Children, an organisation that supports grassroots groups working with children and young people around the world. A member of our team was recently in Kolkata, seeing their impact firsthand. They back local leaders who already understand their communities, rather than trying to impose solutions from the outside.
That philosophy mirrors how we approach regenerative travel at Black Tomato. It goes beyond traditional sustainability initiatives like waste reduction. It’s about ensuring our journeys actively support the ecosystems, communities and cultures our clients engage with.