Peter Glazebrook has a giant eggplant. He also has record-breaking potatoes, cauliflowers, cucumbers, onions and more.
Glazebrook is a giant vegetable grower from Nottinghamshire who has held over 17 world records throughout his unique career.
It all started when Glazebrook’s cousin suggested Glazebrook enter vegetables grown from his home garden into the local competition. At the time, Glazebrook worked as a building surveyor and grew vegetables on the side.
“He said I should try and beat the local show winner,” Glazebrook said. “My vegetables always grew larger than most.”
Glazebrook proceeded to win the local cup three years in a row before moving on to larger competitions.
Some of his world records include a 8.6 kg (18.96 lb) onion, a 27.48 kg (60 lb) cauliflower, runner beans nearly 8m (26 ft) tall and a 3.1 kg (6.88 lb) eggplant.
Glazebrook and his wife rarely take vacations to ensure they’re always around to take care of the plants.
“We never go away because of the veg.,” he said. “Once we start at Christmas, we don’t go away until after the show.” The Malvern Autumn Show where Glazebrook often enters his vegetables takes place annually in mid-late September.
Glazebrook doesn’t keep any secrets when it comes to giant vegetable growing.
“I lost my onion record to my own seed,” he told the Atlas Obscura in 2021. He’d given onion seeds to another gardener who went on to take Glazebrook’s record for the world’s largest onion. Luckily, Glazebrook doesn’t mind losing his title.
“You need a good challenge to start again each year,” he said. “Winning at the top level gives me great satisfaction.”
Glazebrook’s garden stretches over half an acre. His wife Mary helps with the daily upkeep necessary for the plants, including helping life, move and clean the plants.
According to Glazebrook, the trick to growing record-breaking vegetables is all in the seeds.
“The best way is to go along to the shows, see what’s winning and talk to the growers there,” he said. “I’m sure they’d be able to fix you up with the right seeds.
