May- Getting Ready For The Show-

Below we have gone through all the categories in the Show expanding on the pointers given in the schedule where we feel it might be helpful. These are given as guidelines only and should be cross referenced with the schedule. For all the fruit and vegetable categories the overriding thing that the judges will be looking for is uniformity of size and ripeness. 

Of course, two things that cannot be regulated are the weather and growing conditions. Every year is different. The good thing is that everybody will be having the same problems. So never feel your produce is not good enough to enter. 

On the whole it is advisable to pick or dig up your produce on the day of the show so they are at their freshest. However, again, this is not a hard and fast rule. For instance- if there has been a lot of rain and the ground is very wet then it may be better to dig up things like potatoes, onions, leeks and beetroot a bit before to let them dry off.

Fruit and Vegetable Pointers

  • Potatoes- Wash gently, don't scrub. The skins must be in tact.
  • Garden Peas,Mangetout, and all varieties of Beans- should be as uniform as possible and displayed with their calyx on.
  • Chard- can be of any size but as uniform as possible.
  • Carrots and Beetroot- clean carefully just to remove any dirt. Trim the leaves to about 5-7cm.
  • Cucumber- leave 2-3cm of stem and it should be as straight as possible. If you have a curly one why not put it in the Novelty vegetable class?!
  • Onions and Shallots- probably the trickiest category to prepare and many of us have fallen foul of the requirements. The best advice we can give is to go on You Tube to see how to 'tie your onions'. It is not hard to do once you can see how to do it, it's just difficult to explain! Use raffia or twine to tie them and just trim the roots to tidy them up.
  • Garlic- don't peel. Trim the tops to about 5-7cm.
  • Chilli Peppers- leave the calyx attached.
  • Tomatoes- calyx attached and as uniform in size and ripeness as possible.
  • Cherry Tomatoes- can be on or off the vine but calyx must be attached and they should be as uniform as possible.   
  • Mixed Herbs- should be tied and labelled and must not be in flower. They can be exhibited in a container such as a vase, jug, or jam jar to keep them watered.             
  • Rhubarb- Do not cut the stems, pull them. Trim the leaves to about 5cm.
  • Blackcurrants, Redcurrants and Whitecurrants - the term 'strig'  refers to the multiple tiny stalks or stems of the currants. Its origins are not quite clear but the word can also refer to the thread that holds a button to a garment or the shank of a sword where it joins the handle. As an horticultural term it's most easily interpreted as a string. This is a good description of what picked red and white currants should look like. A cluster more accurately describes blackcurrants.

Flowers and Pot Plants-

The most important thing to remember is that they must be home grown, not necessarily from seed but also from cuttings or seedlings. The entries can be displayed in any container or vase that you like. Remember to check the size of the container in the Pot Plant categories.

Unlike in the Flower and Pot Plant categories, the flowers and foliage for the Flower and Floral Arrangements categories do not need to be grown by the exhibitor but can be be bought in.

On the Culinary side of things it may be helpful to mention that although a white paper plate and a cellophane bag will be supplied for each entry, a plate, board or stand bought from home is acceptable for the cakes and bread and the tart if it proves difficult to transfer. 

There are two categories for chocolate cake. One must be a traditional sponge cake with buttercream icing and no decoration. The other can be as showy as you like, with multiple tiers and decoration. The only stipulation being its size-max 20cm.

Remember that entries in the Jams, Jellies, Lemon Curd, Marmalade, Chutney, and Relish categories must be in jars with no branding- eg: 'Kilner' or 'Bonne Mamon'. The jar must also be at least 12oz in size and have a new plain lid. Don't forget to label and date it on the side. 

For the Cordial and Liqueur categories the bottle should be small, but not neccesarily a miniature, and can be branded. 

For those that like the idea of winning a trophy there are two that require just one entry-

The Harvey Memorial  Trophy and The David Webb Memorial Trophy. 

The Harvey Memorial Trophy entry must be made up of home grown fruit and vegetables but the container can be of any shape or size. There can be as many as you want of each of the 7 varieties but if using foliage to 'decorate' your entry it will count as one of the 7.

The other cups and trophies are won by accumulating the points received by coming 1st, 2nd or 3rd in a category.

Junior Classes

In many ways the classes for the younger members of the village are the ones we are most keen to promote. Last year there were only three entrants. We have increased the age level to try and encourage more entries and are hoping that digital art being included in the design a Horticultural Show Poster for 2025 will inspire all those budding artists out there!

Unlike any other categories in the show, entrants need not be residents in the village but could just be here on holiday or staying with friends or relations. This year for the first time there will be cash prizes instead of trophies.

We have deliberately tried to keep the categories as simple and quick to do as possible as realise that the summer holidays may not even have started for some.

The Horticultural and Culinary Show has been an annual event in village life since the early 50's and, back then, it was very much geared to the experienced, dedicated gardener and baker and competition was fierce! Now we want to encourage as many novices in both the kitchen and the garden as possible.The Show really is just a bit of fun, a chance to come together and enjoy the day. Every entrant will have a number and so complete anonimity is guaranteed and the judging is done behind closed doors! The criteria for each category is to just provide a yardstick for both judge and entrant. So please enter something and help us save The Show.

If anyone has any questions or queries please get in touch. Some of our committee are on Ciao and all of us live in the village and are here to help!

Betsy Lemmon, Suzzie Godfrey, Paul Bradley, Diana Wright, Nicky Thorpe.