Giant Onion Growers Will Chase a World Record Set at Newby Hall as the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show Turns Fifty
Last year's winner fell 170 grams short of the 8.97kg record, and the heaviest onions will be weighed on the opening day at noon.
The Harrogate Autumn Flower Show celebrates its 50th anniversary at Newby Hall and Gardens, near Ripon in North Yorkshire, from 18 to 20 September 2026, with the National Onion Championship again among the highlights in its Incredible Edible Pavilion.
The giant onion weigh-in, hosted by Christine Talbot, is scheduled for 12pm on the Friday, the opening day. Growers will be trying to beat the world record of 8.97kg, set at the show by Guernsey's Gareth Griffin in 2023.
Last year Stephen Purvis of Murton, County Durham, won with a single onion of 8.8kg, narrowly missing the record, and also took the heaviest trio at 22.565kg. At the same show Michael Wilson of Peterlee won the heaviest pumpkin on his first appearance with 149.45kg, while Chris Marriott of Mansfield beat UK records for carrot and tomato.
The North of England Horticultural Society's giant vegetable competition also returns, with its results due at 9am on the Friday, and more than 5,000 blooms will be on show in the Grand Floral Pavilion. Show director Nick Smith said organisers were proud of the heritage behind the event but were also looking firmly to the future.
First staged in 1976, the show is one of two run each year by the society, alongside its spring show in Harrogate. Adult tickets cost £29, with children under 16 admitted free.