More monster veg crowned at Malvern – but will David Beckham heed the challenge…?
Autumn has arrived in the UK, which if you’re a fan of the harvest season means one thing: it’s time for the CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship.
The hotly anticipated competition has been staged at the Malvern Autumn Show in Worcestershire for more than a decade, and every year thousands of people descend on the hilly idyll to come and marvel at the prodigious produce and see if any of it has claimed a world record.
Visitors to the latest edition, held on 25–27 September, were not to be disappointed, because a total of SEVEN globe-smashing fruit and vegetables (grown by five gardeners) were verified over the weekend.
Among them was a beast of a beetroot (a record that had remained unbeaten since 2019), a super-long type of butternut squash known as a tromboncino and – perhaps most surprising to many – a plant widely considered an unwelcome garden weed.
Such an impressive crop of records is particularly impressive given the multiple extended heatwaves that the UK experienced over the summer. Speaking to the stoic gardeners, however, the extreme weather was generally taken in their stride. For them, it was simply a case of adapting to the new norm and – as always – doing what they can to help their plants reach their full potential.
All of the contenders entered into the contest were carefully examined by the Head Judge and GWR big veg expert Sebastian Suski, who checked that they conformed with the rules for each class before carrying out the vital measuring and weighing procedures.
Representatives from Guinness World Records also attended to inspect the successful specimens up close and present official certificates to their proud “parents”.
The full roster of world records broken at the 2026 Malvern Autumn Show were:
- Heaviest beetroot: 26.02 kg (57 lb 5.9 oz), by Vincent Sjodin (UK)
- Heaviest sunflower head: 7.808 kg (17 lb 3.4 oz), by Vincent Sjodin
- Tallest cucumber plant: 7.598 m (24 ft 11 in), by Graham Barratt (UK)
- Heaviest luffa: 5.01 kg (11 lb), by Kevin Fortey (UK)
- Longest tromboncino squash: 1.486 m (4 ft 10.5 in), by Kevin Fortey
- Heaviest sweetcorn cob: 408 g (14.39 oz), by Peter Glazebrook (UK)
- Longest dandelion root: 1.127 m (3 ft 8.4 in), by Terry King (UK)
Kevin Fortey, aka “Mr Giant Veg”, was one of two veteran growers this year (along with Vincent Sjodin) to set a brace of records. His family boast three generations of giant vegetable growers and, between them, they have now racked up 17 titles to date.
Fortey told GWR that he has the milestone of 20 world records in his sights, though he didn’t rule out going beyond that.
To have our family name in the record books not once but 17 times is very special. To witness giant veg growing throughout the world is amazing to see. A fitting testament to my dad, who started the UK Giant Vegetables Championship. He’s looking down on us now with a big smile on his face – Kevin Fortey, serial record-breaking horticulturalist
First off, he weighed in with a new high mark for the heaviest luffa. Luffas (best known for being transformed into bathroom sponges when dried) are a tropical vining plant, but with the UK’s warming climate, they are becoming an increasingly popular addition to British greenhouses.
Fortey also became the debut record holder of a brand-new class: the longest tromboncino. These long, bendy squashes, originating from northern Italy, go by several names including zucchetta and serpentine squash (the latter owing to their snake-like form). Though, of course, in order to attain the greatest length, for this gardener the challenge was keeping the plant’s fruits as straight as possible.
Tromboncinos are another Mediterranean vegetable that have started to gain traction among UK gardeners in recent years – including some rather famous amateurs, as Fortey revealed: “We saw on social media that Sir David Beckham grew a number of tromboncinos. He can bend them like Beckham but he can’t grow them as straight as the Forteys!
“I’d love to challenge him to go for a Guinness World Records title next season and bring it along to the UK Giant Vegetables Championship. I’ll even pay for his ticket!”
Another new record category introduced in 2026 was for the longest dandelion root. While perhaps not as familiar as the other produce on display at the competition, technically all parts of a dandelion are edible, from the leaves and flowers (used in salads) to the roots (which can be used to flavour tea or even roasted and used as a coffee substitute).
For long-time horticulturalist and YouTuber Terry King from Warwickshire, who has been chasing a world record for many years, it was a dream come true to finally achieve his very first GWR title.
He’s even more proud that he was able to do this with a plant that, as far as he’s concerned, needs a major rebrand. “I decided to bring along a dandelion to this prestigious event to highlight the importance of native plants like this to pollinators such as bees. I’d like to encourage people to stop using harmful chemicals like pesticides to get rid of weeds – and instead to recognize their value and embrace them.
“We’ve all heard of issues where beekeepers are losing their bees. We need to do all we can to help out the pollinators, because without them, we won’t have food. So I’m now keeping patches of my allotment dedicated to weeds, so we can all benefit – insects and humans alike.
“I’m hoping the opportunity to break a world record with dandelions might inspire others to do the same!”
I have had the incredible opportunity to verify numerous Guinness World Records titles and witness some truly extraordinary achievements in the world of giant vegetable growing. This year at Malvern was particularly special, with seven world records achieved at the show. Among them, the heaviest beetroot was especially memorable for me. It was a truly remarkable specimen and a fabulous achievement, reflecting the exceptional skill, dedication and perseverance of the grower – Sebastian Suski, Head Judge at the CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship
Green-fingered Gloucestershire gardener Graham Barratt has had a stellar couple of years when it comes to setting records. In July this year, he registered the heaviest elephant garlic – a gargantuan bulb that weighed in at the equivalent of more than four footballs! And two months later at Malvern, he added the tallest cucumber plant to his ever-burgeoning collection of records.
Barratt is a huge advocate of freely distributing seeds from his record-breaking produce – as well as his know-how – with any newcomers who express an interest in getting into veg cultivation. “Years ago when I started, I couldn’t have done this without the help of other growers, sharing their seed and being able to learn from them. So personally, I think it’s incumbent on all of us to do the same.
“Plus, it helps to create a greater pool of contenders in the field. I always say, if you haven’t got competition, then you haven’t got a competition.”
One of the greatest showstoppers drawing the crowds to the big veg hall at the Malvern Autumn Show this year actually fell just short of claiming GWR status.
The first-in-show pumpkin – nicknamed Baloo, after The Jungle Book bear – tipped the scales at a whopping 1,258 kg (2,773 lb), akin to a small car! This makes it the second-heaviest pumpkin recorded of all time.
Although just over 20 kg (66 lb) short of the current world record for the heaviest pumpkin, the ginormous gourd was produced by current record holder Ian Paton (UK), who claimed the world title with his twin brother, Stuart, in 2025, bringing the record to the UK for the first time since records began.
Want to read more about monster fruit and vegetables from all around the world? Check out our Horticultural Heroes feature in the latest edition: Guinness World Records 2027, out now!
For more fantastic feats of horticultural prowess, check out our dedicated Food and Drink news page.