The Malvern Autumn Show took place at the Three Counties Showground recently and in Ann Evans’ first of two articles on the show, she highlights three of her favourite things – food, drink and flowers.
What a fabulous Malvern Autumn Show! It ran for 3 days, from 24th to 26th September and even that wasn’t enough to see everything that was going on. Foodies, drinks connoisseurs, gardeners, craftspeople, flower arrangers, families – there was something for everyone.
Taking place in the spacious 90-acre Three Counties Showground at the foot of the picturesque Malvern hills there was a relaxed open atmosphere that seemed to banish any lingering Covid concerns for visitors.
It really was a festival of gardening, food and drink, artisan produce, incredible crafts and nostalgia. Amongst the many attractions was the Malvern Gin Show, Westons Cider Garden, a Perry Festival, real ales to try and a lot more. In fact, the Outdoor Food and Drink Village featured around 40 local producers from across the three counties and beyond.
BBC TV presenter of Eat Well for Less, Chris Bavin was hosting talks and demonstrations in the Food and Drink Theatre each day. TV chef Rosemary Shrager and Saturday Kitchen’s Matt Tebutt were also presenting foodie events over the weekend.
Jane Edwards, Shows Manager, said: “We are excited to welcome visitors to the first open air Food and Drink Village at this year’s Malvern Autumn Show, with more diverse producers than ever before. We all know that it’s important to support our local producers, and we have some of the finest food and drinks vendors joining us for three days of foodie fun, offering a chance for families to explore a world of flavours and learn a thing or two from our celebrity chefs and presenters.”
For anyone into growing their own veg, there were some eye-popping produce at the CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship. Top growers were battling it out to win coveted prizes for the largest, longest or heaviest fruit or vegetable possible. This year’s competition saw some record achievements, including 4 new Guinness World Record breakers!
This year’s entrants came from far and wide to show their enormous produce and adjudicators and representatives from the Guinness World Records officiated the competition, they announced not just one new Guinness World Record but four!
Pic 5.
Heaviest Marrow – 116.4kg (256 lb 9.8oz)
Vincent Sjodin of Barry lsland, Wales
22.7kg (50lb) heavier
Heaviest Aubergine – 3.12kg (6lb 14oz)
Peter Glazebrook of Newark, Nottingham
60g heavier
Heaviest Broad Bean Pod – 106g (3.74oz)
Joe Atherton of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
Longest Leek – 1.36m (4ft 5.5in)
Joe Atherton of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
14cm longer
Chris Eldridge, Head of Shows, added, “We are over the moon that this year’s CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship has resulted in so many new Guinness World Records! Congratulations to all the winners.”
The RHS Flower Show offered some fabulous floral displays that couldn’t fail to inspire. More than 40 of the UK’s best nurseries and expert growers gathered in the new open-air floral arena competing for the coveted RHS 5-star rating – the ultimate accolade for a nursery; real recognition for skill and effort, as well as encouraging and inspiring others.
Judges are highly experienced, independent horticultural experts, trained in judging using the RHS criteria. This includes the complexity of the display in its construction, how challenging the planting is, overall impression and originality. Not to be missed also was the floral art exhibition of beautiful floral and harvest displays.
Visitors to the floral arena could also shop at the brimming bulb market to handpick from a selection of tulip, allium, daffodil and dahlia bulbs – just the thing to add a splash of colour to spring planting.
Plus, there was great family fun and free activities, from pedal tractors and croquet, to arts and crafts activities, the Top Dogs Arena, and the World of Animals showcase. A vintage funfair, a nostalgic vintage caravan display, vintage tea rooms and a vintage pub. Also, traditional forestry, farriery competitions and so much more.
Next Monday we will be looking at some of the amazing craftspeople who exhibited at the show, in Marvellous Malvern Part 2.
For details of the next Malvern Autumn Show, please visit: www.malvernautumn.co.uk/
