Page 14 - Simply Vegetables Spring 2022

RHS Horticultural Competitions 2021
DAVID ALLISON
For a number of years, I have been a member of the RHS Show committee which organises the three amateur horticultural competitions each year including venues, dates, classes,
judges, prize money etc. They are all
free to enter, prize money is good for an amateur competition, and you don’t even have to be an RHS member to enter!
The Summer Fruit and Vegetable competition held at and as part of Tatton Park Flower Show, Cheshire which for 2021 was held between the 21st and 25th July. For those interested in stats, there were 72 classes at this show, and in 2021 there were 53 entries of fruit staged and 154 entries of vegetables staged which is the highest for a number of years and most of really good quality and created a lot of interest from the visiting public. There are special prizes for the best dish of fruit and the best dish of vegetables in the competition.
The Autumn Fruit and Vegetable
competition, held at and as part of the Taste of Autumn event at RHS Hyde Hall, Essex, held in 2021 between the 1st and
3rd October. Again in terms of stats, there were 147 classes, split between 76 for fruit and 71 for vegetables, and for 2021 there were 112 entries of fruit staged and 156 entries of vegetables, both slightly down
on previous years. I think this could be put down to, lack of advertising, the season and COVID worries. A number of trophies and awards are given out at this show including best collection of fruit and best dish of vegetables.
The Late Fruit and Vegetable competition, held at RHS Harlow Carr near Harrogate, North Yorkshire between 28th and 31st October 2021. There were 33 classes for fruit and 34 for vegetables. In terms of entries staged the fruit classes were well up on previous yeas with 69 dishes staged, nearly double the previous year, thanks mainly to one exhibitor,
Best dish of vegetables, blanch leeks as part of a collection shown by Sherie Plumb
Best collection of fruit shown by Adrian Baggaley
Best dish of fruit, redcurrants show by Hilary Dodgson
Best dish of vegetables, again shown by Sherie Plumb
14 Simply Vegetables