Super swede and weighty spud smash world records

Giant veg growers smashed two world records at the National Giant Vegetables Championship.

New records were set for the largest swede and heaviest potato at the contest, which took place at the National Gardening Show at Shepton Mallet in Somerset, on 2 to 4 September.

Ian Neale from Newport, South Wales took the record for the largest swede with a giant specimen weighing 38.92 kilos (just over 85 pounds).
Ian imported the seeds from Alaska and used a polythene tunnel for protection to produce his winner in just 26 weeks from seed sowing to weigh-in. He grew 10 plants and entered the largest in the show.

The second record-breaker was Peter Glazebrook, from Nottinghamshire, with a giant ‘Condor’ potato which tipped the scales at 4.98 kilos (a fraction under 11 pounds).