West Devon cabbage growers beat rivals with a huge home-grown vegetable

A giant cabbage grown by the garden team at Buckland Abbey has won first prize in a friendly competition between National Trust gardens across Cornwall and the Tamar Valley.

The “Cornish Giant” cabbage, grown by Sam and Ryan at the West Devon abbey, measured 1.2 metres wide and weighed around 10kg.

It was one of four giant cabbages entered into the annual competition, which challenges National Trust garden teams to grow the biggest specimen in time for their autumn gardeners’ meeting.

Buckland Abbey ”won by a country mile”, according to the National Trust, although the other teams’ cabbages are still growing and could eventually surpass it.

The team’s cabbages had been growing throughout the summer, but were 'brought back from the brink' when they started to dry out during the hot weather.

Sam and Ryan credited the garden’s soil and organic growing techniques for their success, alongside the use of garden fleece to deter pests.

The garden is not yet officially certified as organic.

A Buckland Abbey spokesperson told The Moorlander: “Sam and Ryan have over twenty years of kitchen gardening experience between them, so it's no wonder really that this was a 'breeze' for them,”

The cabbage was pictured alongside the gardeners outside the abbey’s Great Barn, with the team sharing their achievement on social media.

“What a whopper, congratulations to you both,” one comment read.

Buckland Abbey’s ‘Cornish Giant' cabbage will feature among the autumn produce on show at its upcoming Harvest Weekend on 24 and 25 October.

Visitors will also be able to see a display of pumpkins and squashes in the abbey’s Great Hall.

This year’s display has a sea-monster theme, linking with a family trail planned for October half-term.

The pumpkins and squashes have been grown in the abbey’s kitchen gardens, where other autumn produce will also be on display.

Squashes will be available to buy in the shop.