A TEST Valley man is celebrating after his two 60lb cabbages won first prize at this year’s New Forest Show.

Chris Hewlett, from Broughton, won the first prize rosette in the national southern branch championships held at the annual show near Brockenhurst at the end of July.

Mr Hewlett, who has been growing vegetables for more than 30 years, entered the identical pair of Ramco cabbages weighing 60lb each after planting the seedlings at the beginning of March.

The cabbages were so big that they had to be transported to the showground by van before then taking two people to carry them to the display bench.

Seasoned winner

The 72-year-old said: “We had to be so careful because they are brittle, you can lose a competition by not getting it on the bench in pristine condition.”

Mr Hewlett is a seasoned winner and has been competing at national level for 20 years.

He has entered the southern branch championships every year in the last 10 years it has been held at the New Forest Show, usually winning with celery.

This year he also won second prizes with his runner beans and stamp carrots.

The retired electrician added: “It is just a hobby but it is lovely.

“You meet a smashing lot of people, it is a good competition and everything that is grown can be eaten.”

The heart of the cabbages were such a size - roughly four times the size of a football - that Mr Hewlett’s son Darren had to use a saw to cut them up to give to people.

Putting the success of his prize-winning cabbage down to a lot of water and covering them with Enviromesh, he said: “With national competitions you are competing with the best so the competition is brilliant and when you so win it is quite an achievement.”

Mr Hewlett is now looking forward to entering the midland branch championships in Malvern at the end of September.