The Malvern Autumn Show 2018 has seen five world records set in the CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship. The Championship consists of 33 categories, up nearly 10% on last year and has drawn a record number of entries, nearly 600 in total, from growers the length and breadth of the country.
The mountains of monster veg are weighed and measured by official adjudicator, Martyn Davis and any records are sent to the Guinness Book of World Records for inclusion.
The first record, the World’s Heaviest Celery, was broken at midday on Friday by Under Gardener, Sam Purvis from The Old Rectory in Henley. He proudly held the title for a full five minutes before it was snatched from his grasp by Estate Manager and boss, Gary Heeks with his super-sized celery weighing in at 42kg, the same as a Chimpanzee.
A titan of the giant vegetable world, Ian Neale from Newport has added a further two world records to his haul. World’s Heaviest Aubergine (3.06kg) and World’s Heaviest Bell Pepper (7.20kg) with a potential hattrick pending with World’s Heaviest Chilli.
Tim Saint from Reading finally saw the fruits of his labours with a world record for the World’s Heaviest Red Cabbage. Previously set at Malvern Autumn Show by Cornishman David Thomas at 23.3kg, Tim’s colossal cabbage tipped the scales at 23.7kg.
The record for the World’s Heaviest Leek was set at Malvern Autumn Show 2014 by Paul Rochester from County Durham. This year he smashed his previous record with a whopper leek weighing 10.7kg.
Dale Toten from Somerset achieved a new World Record for the Heaviest Chilli weighing in at an eye watering 0.42kg, plus a new British Record with his magnificent melon that tipped the scales at 97.3kg, which is approximately the same weight as a warthog.
During the weekend, the Three Counties Showground expects to welcome more than 65,000 people through the gates for the annual harvest celebration.
Diana Walton, Head of Shows at Three Counties, said: “We are thrilled that we have seen five new world records in the CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship. The passion and perseverance of these growers is amazing and our visitors absolutely love it. We never fail to be astounded at the sheer size and scale, they literally are one of the biggest draws of the show.”
The Malvern Autumn Show is a celebration of the season championing gardening, growing and gathering, rural life and our country’s quirky character.
RESULTS ROUND UP – CANNA UK GIANT VEG CHAMPIONSHIPS
Malvern Autumn Show welcomes back the UK Championships in 2018 with 5 world records smashed and record entries – up nearly 10% on last year with almost 600 entries.
- World’s Heaviest Celery – 42kg, Grower Gary Heeks, Henley-in-Arden
- World’s Heaviest Red Cabbage – 23.7kg, Grower Tim Saint, Reading
- World’s Heaviest Bell Pepper – 0.72kg, Grower Ian Neale, Newport
- World’s Heaviest Aubergine – 3.06kg, Grower Ian Neale, Newport
- World’s Heaviest Leek – 10.7kg, Grower Paul Rochester, County Durham
- World’s Heaviest Chilli – 0.42kg, Grower Dale Toten, Somerset