Pensioner grows world's biggest ever onion...a 17lb 15oz whopper



It was enough to bring a tear to every gardener’s eye yesterday as pensioner Peter Glazebrook set a new record for the world’s heaviest onion.

The monster vegetable tipped the scales at 17lbs 15 and a half ounces - breaking the previous world record of 16lbs 8.37 ounces held by John Sifford, of the West Midlands, since 2005.

Prized possession: Gardener Peter Glazebrook cradles his world record breaking onion

Peter, a 67-year-old retired chartered surveyor, who lives near Newark, has broken ten world records in his 30 years of gardening.

He has been trying for the honour of cultivating the world’s heaviest onion for 25 years but always missed out until yesterday’s victory at Harrogate Flower Show.

Record is in the onion bag! Peter Glazebrook and his wife Mary pose with his record breaking giant onion

He said: 'I did not know the exact weight until they put it on the scales but I had been measuring it every day so I was very hopeful.'

Cabb fever! Derek Neuman from Sheffield, grew this giant cabbage for the 100th Harrogate Autumn Flower Show

Prize vegetables lose weight if left on display overnight. So Mr Glazebrook waited until Thursday evening before lifting the record breaking onion he had been cultivating since November last year.

He then wrapped it carefully in towels - to avoid it being bruised by potholes - before loading it into his estate car for the overnight drive, arriving at the Great Yorkshire Showground about 4am.

There was then a nail-biting wait while dozens of rival entries were loaded onto the scales before Peter was announced as the winner.

As well as the winning weight, the onion was also found to measure 30ins in circumference and 24ins from top to bottom.

He said yesterday: 'It has taken me at least 25 years. I have been growing them for that length of time.

'In that time, I have been very close to the world record but it always escaped me. It is the same seed as last year.



'But I have invested more time and money into growing it including automatic venting and heating.'

He also concentrated on a batch of just 10 plants instead of his usual 50 to pick a winner.

He grew them in 150 litre plant pots - big enough for a large tree - in John Innes Number 3 soil. 'I have been talking to them for nearly 12 months,' he added.

'I always asked them if they wanted more water and food.” He currently holds three other world records - heaviest potato, heaviest parsnip, and longest beetroot.

Green with envy! Joe Atherton from Mansfield, holds the marrow grown by his father at the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show

Giant killers: Award winners in the giant vegetable classes, (from left to right) Joe Atherton, Derek Neuman and Peter Glazebrook

He continued: 'I have been growing and showing for almost 30 years and 25 years with onions. My father never showed but was a keen gardener.

'I feel so proud. I will take it home, look after it, and put it down to seed.” It was far too valuable to eat.

'If you did I should think it could feed a thousand people. It would certainly do for a lot of hotdogs.'