Creamy tomato soup

Name: Creamy tomato soup
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 celery sticks, chopped; 200g/7oz carrots, chopped; 1 bay leaf; 1 large sprig fresh thyme; 750g/1½lb ripe plum or vine-ripened tomatoes, roughly chopped; ½ tsp sugar; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 200ml/7fl oz passata; 500ml/17fl oz vegetable stock; 100ml/3½fl oz single cream; Splash dry sherry; Crusty bread and butter, to serve