Second Grow-Your-Own show fails to launch

By Marc Rosenberg

Is the UK's new-found love affair with grow-your-own starting to wilt? That’s the question being asked after the second major new show for fruit and veg failed to launch this spring.

The Grow Your Own Show had been due to make its debut on the May bank holiday weekend (Sunday 2 May to Monday 3 May) at Loseley Park in Guildford, Surrey. However, it has been postponed for a year and will now take place on 1 to 2 May 2011.
Earlier this spring, AG reported how organisers of its rival show, The Edible Garden Show, had also cancelled the inaugural event. The show, planned for Stoneleigh in Warwickshire, was put on hold for a year after only 40 exhibitors signed up. Around 100 exhibitors were needed to stage a national event (AG, 20 February).

AG contacted the Grow Your Own Show to find out why the show had failed to launch. Event director Diane Clifford said: "There had been a lot of interest, but due to the economic climate and the recession, we decided to put the launch date back by one year. This will give us more time." But organisers of The Grow Your Own Show failed to respond to AG when the magazine asked how many exhibitors had been booked for the initial launch.

The failure of both grow-your-own shows, at a time when kitchen gardening is supposed to be increasing in popularity, will be an embarrassment for influential gardening charities and media organisations that were backing the events.

The Grow Your Own Show was supported by the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG) and the National Trust South East Food Group, while being affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and working with the Soil Association.

The Edible Garden Show is also endorsed by NSALG and the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) with a three-year sponsorship deal from Mirror Group Newspapers.