Asian Mail
UK National Giant Vegetables Championships, 12 record-breaking fruit and vegetables were unveiled at this year’s held in Worcestershire, UK, on 27–29 September.
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The Malvern Autumn Show’s UK National Giant Vegetables Championships shattered records, with the event organizers believe this to be among the most record-breaking entries it has ever seen ratified in a single weekend.
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Among the proud growers of the supersized specimens were several familiar faces from the field of competitive horticulture, who over the years have racked up numerous GWR titles.
But there were also a few newcomers, including eight-year-old Dasha Edwards from South Wales.
As part of a team effort with fellow green-fingered growers Chris Fowler and Kevin Fortey (all UK), Dasha helped to nurture the longest aubergine on her family’s farm park near Cardiff. A new category for Guinness World Records, they have now set the mark to beat at 41 cm (1 ft 4.1 in long).
Dasha, who has been growing vegetables since she was four, told GWR she felt “excited and proud” on finding out their eggplant had claimed the record.
It wasn’t all plain sailing though, as she explained: “On our first attempt, some kind of rodent chewed on the aubergine plant, but on our second attempt it worked well.”
Now she’s got a taste of record-setting success, Dasha is keen to continue, revealing: “My plan is to grow the longest cucumber next year.”
This extraordinary eggplant follows in the wake of the heaviest aubergine, which was recognized on 31 July.
From an eight-year-old to an 81-year-old, Ian Neale (UK) – who also hails from South Wales but unlike Dasha has three decades’ experience of competing under his belt –added another GWR title to his impressive career haul with a green pepper that tipped the scales at almost a kilogram!
His 966-g (2-lb 2.8-oz) mega-pepper is more than seven times the average examples you’ll find on offer at your local supermarket and officially the heaviest bell pepper.
Neale smashed the previous record, which was registered at Malvern in 2023 by long-term rival grower Peter Glazebrook (see below), by a hefty 216 g (7.6 oz).
(Courtesy Guinness worldrecords)
