[funkydunk]

This variable isn't available from the template without modifying func.php.

This can be done as follows (for 3.4 site)

change func_search_products where it says:

		if ($current_area == "C" && $store_language != $config["default_customer_language"]) 
			$search_query = "select $sql_tbl[products].*, $sql_tbl[categories].category, min($sql_tbl[pricing].price) as price from $sql_tbl[pricing], $sql_tbl[categories], $sql_tbl[products] LEFT JOIN $sql_tbl[products_lng] ON $sql_tbl[products].productid=$sql_tbl[products_lng].productid where $sql_tbl[pricing].productid=$sql_tbl[products].productid and $sql_tbl[pricing].quantity=1 and $sql_tbl[products].categoryid=$sql_tbl[categories].categoryid $membership_condition and ($sql_tbl[pricing].membership='$membership' or $sql_tbl[pricing].membership='') and $avail_condition ".$query.$tail;

		else
			$search_query = "select $sql_tbl[products].*, $sql_tbl[categories].category, min($sql_tbl[pricing].price) as price from $sql_tbl[products], $sql_tbl[pricing], $sql_tbl[categories] where $sql_tbl[pricing].productid=$sql_tbl[products].productid and $sql_tbl[pricing].quantity=1 and $sql_tbl[products].categoryid=$sql_tbl[categories].categoryid $membership_condition and ($sql_tbl[pricing].membership='$membership' or $sql_tbl[pricing].membership='') and $avail_condition ".$query.$tail;

to

		if ($current_area == "C" && $store_language != $config["default_customer_language"]) 
			$search_query = "select $sql_tbl[products].*, $sql_tbl[categories].category, min($sql_tbl[pricing].price) as price from $sql_tbl[pricing], $sql_tbl[categories], $sql_tbl[products] LEFT JOIN $sql_tbl[products_lng] ON $sql_tbl[products].productid=$sql_tbl[products_lng].productid where $sql_tbl[pricing].productid=$sql_tbl[products].productid and $sql_tbl[pricing].quantity=1 and $sql_tbl[products].categoryid=$sql_tbl[categories].categoryid $membership_condition and ($sql_tbl[pricing].membership='$membership' or $sql_tbl[pricing].membership='') and $avail_condition ".$query.$tail;
		else
			$search_query = "select $sql_tbl[products].*, $sql_tbl[categories].category, SUBSTRING_INDEX($sql_tbl[categories].category, '\/', 1) as maincat, min($sql_tbl[pricing].price) as price from $sql_tbl[products], $sql_tbl[pricing], $sql_tbl[categories] where $sql_tbl[pricing].productid=$sql_tbl[products].productid and $sql_tbl[pricing].quantity=1 and $sql_tbl[products].categoryid=$sql_tbl[categories].categoryid $membership_condition and ($sql_tbl[pricing].membership='$membership' or $sql_tbl[pricing].membership='') and $avail_condition ".$query.$tail;

the top level category will then be available as:

{$products[product].maincat} in products.tpl

hth