Two rookie growers have come up trumps – and broken all previous records – at our annual Potato Growing Challenge.
Gilwern couple Chris and Bob Straughan took first and second place respectively in the Adult Class of this popular fundraiser.
Chris’s potato harvest was nearly 1kg heavier than the previous record of 1.47kg, weighing in at a whopping 2.3kg and winning her the top prize of a £20 garden centre voucher. Meanwhile husband Bob grew 1.79kg of fabulous-looking potatoes, earning him a £15 voucher.
In the Children’s Class (Under 16), Abergavenny tot Rowan Indge scored first place and a £10 voucher with her impressive haul of 1.037kg. And the runner-up £5 voucher was awarded to last year’s winner, 7-year-old Poppy Harper of Raglan, with her 919g harvest.
The Challenge, sponsored by the Abergavenny Garden Centre, started back in mid-March with entrants issued with their competition kit – a 10L pot and single “Charlotte” variety seed potato –and ended with the formal pot-emptying and weigh-in at the Garden Centre on 15 July.
Winner Chris said: “We grow tomatoes in our polytunnel at home, but we’ve never grown potatoes before. I was absolutely amazed by how many came out of our pots. But I did really nurture mine, and I know I’m going to miss tending to them every morning and every night!”
For Chris and Bob, there was more at stake than the winning vouchers, as the contest has become something of an extended family challenge spanning 4 generations, including 96-year-old Bryan Jones, a two-time Challenge winner.
Thanks to a record 223 entries, this year’s Challenge has raised a magnificent £1,115 towards our charity’s work.
The 4-month challenge saw entries from across the region – including all four classes at Llangattock Church in Wales School and a works team at Saica Pack, a Newport-based packaging solutions company.
Our Chair Jacky Miles MBE said: “It’s been a fabulous event for us – and great to see how much people of all ages have enjoyed the Challenge. We were especially delighted to welcome Llangattock Church In Wales School into the event, and the team at Saica Pack, and we’d love to see more schools and workplaces get involved in some friendly rivalry next year!
“As always, we are very grateful to our generous sponsors, the Abergavenny Garden Centre, for providing the Challenge kits and for hosting us for both the sale of the kits at the start of the contest and the final weigh in. We couldn’t do it without their support.
“Plus of course I would like to thank each and every one of our 223 entrants for helping us towards our annual fundraising target.”
