Giant Potato Grown In Nottinghamshire Is A World Record Breaker

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An amateur gardener from Newark in Nottinghamshire has managed to grow the largest potato in the world. Peter Glazebrooke’s potato weighing in at 8lb 4oz (3.8kg) was confirmed as a record breaker by Guinness earlier in the month. The previous record was held at a weight of 7lb 13oz (3.5kg). Peter’s passion for growing potatoes goes back more than 10 years.

However he is also keen on growing a whole range of large vegetables in his back garden. He has also held 10 world records over his horticultural career. He also holds the current record for the heaviest parsnip and the longest beetroot.

Peter is a competitive grower and has competed many a time in his local garden show in Southwell. He has also won prizes for his marrows, onions and 5lb tomato at the National Giant Vegetable Show in Somerset.

He told BBC Radio Nottingham: "That's the heaviest tomato I have ever shown. I will let it rot down now and save the seeds, hopefully grow them again next year."

Peter always gives his garden and his vegetables a lot of love and attention. His marrows are given fleeces to shade them from the sun in the day, and at night they are tucked with a blanket to ensure they don’t get cold.

He puts much of his success in the garden down to swapping seeds and plants with fellow gardeners to help yield the best possible results.

"A lot of the vegetables you cannot actually go and buy the seeds, you've got to approach a giant vegetable grower or swap with another one.

"Having got the right seeds it's giving them a long growing season. It's no good expecting to plant a potato in the Spring in the garden and dig up a world record one in August.

"You've got to start them early on in the greenhouse, pot them on, care for them, plant them outside with protection after the frosts...

However, Peter is clearly in it for the love and not the money as the first prize in a national competition is often only £60.

"We always say about a show we've done really well if we can cover the petrol money. It's a hobby. It's a challenge.

“I like to think as giant vegetable growing as a fun hobby. Not too serious.”