When Tom and Matt nearly became business partners

Despite their past history, Tom can’t help be tempted by Matt’s suggestion that Bridge Farm may be able to do better than Justin's offer.

There are pounds signs in his eyes. And they are clearly obscuring his vision of his past dealings with Matt!

There was a time when Matt and Tom were going to go into business together. In 2009 Tom wanted to get out of his partnership with Brian. He thought his prayers were answered when Matt came knocking.

But then, after a couple of months of not hearing anything from Matt (which surely would make you suspicious!), Tom was told the deal was off. Matt wouldn’t reveal why he had changed his mind, he just said circumstances had changed and while he and Tom had had an understanding, they had nothing in writing.

The truth was that Matt and his business partner Steve Chalkman were soon going to be found out for fraud. A dejected Tom sought comfort in the one person in Ambridge who was aware of Crawford and Chalkman’s dodgy dealings, his girlfriend at the time, Brenda Tucker. After she had overheard Matt and Chalky arguing, Matt had agreed to buy out Brian from Tom's pig enterprise in return for her silence.

When Brenda revealed this to Tom, he was horrified and felt betrayed by her. As authorities closed in on Crawford and Chalkman, Brenda was interviewed by the Serious Fraud Office. She couldn’t withhold what she knew but afterwards she worried about the implications of breaking her silence.

When a man came looking for Brenda, Tom told him where she was only then to realise that that man was Steve Chalkman. Chalky tracked down Brenda and threatened her. Tom arrived just in time to stand up to him and see him off.

Eight years on Tom is older and hopefully wiser. So this time around he can handle Matt, or can he?

Read more about Tom's pig business