While factories hum and millions of food products roll off production lines each minute, a quieter kind of dedication unfolds in backyard gardens across the world.

You’ve probably seen the occasional oversized vegetable on TV or at a county fair—those record‑breaking colossi that earn ribbons and local bragging rights. Stepping into the wholesome, unpretentious world of growers who nurture these enormous creations is a striking contrast to the fast‑paced industrial food landscape that usually dominates headlines. But this world is bigger than it looks. To understand the community behind competitive giant vegetables, we spoke with Kevin Fortey, a 14‑time Guinness World Record holder and one of the community’s most dedicated champions.

A life rooted in the garden

Coming straight from the garden to the interview, Kevin sat down and spoke with us about how he got into growing giant produce. For him, it all started in a pub in South Wales where Kevin’s father challenged a couple of guys to see who could grow the largest pumpkin. The challenge was so much fun that it became a tradition. With a growth in popularity came a similar growth in pumpkin size, and it wasn’t long before the pumpkins wouldn’t fit through the pub door. 

From that point, Kevin’s father found another venue for what would come to be known as the United Kingdom Giant Vegetable Challenge. Kevin was hooked on working in the garden with his dad, joining competitions, and stacking up family records. He’s been growing vegetables from the ripe old age of four, and today, he still grows his gigantic produce in the very same garden where he first learned alongside his dad. Kevin’s father has since passed away, but the traditions they built together continue to shape Kevin’s mission to grow, teach, and share.

The making of a giant

Growing giant vegetables might appear whimsical from the outside, but competitive growers will tell you it’s really an exercise of precise science. Behind every record‑breaking zucchini or oversized chili pepper is a huge investment of time, patience, and a willingness to fail before succeeding.

 “The first part is about genetics,” Kevin explains. “You can’t just buy a packet of seeds from the grocery store.” Growers trade specialized seeds and build strong soil through green manures, soil tests, and leaf tissue analysis. Environmental factors add more complex layers—weather, disease risk, soil health, watering, and sunlight all make a difference. A grower in Alaska, for example, produced the world’s largest cabbage–weighing in at 135lbs—thanks in part to 24‑hour daylight, while growers in Wales often must supplement their sunshine with artificial light.

Once the right genetics are secured, growers spend months or even years coaxing a single plant to its full potential, often tracing lineages back generations like pedigreed racehorses. But even the best genetics can’t protect against overenthusiasm. Kevin recalls nurturing a nearly 200lb zucchini that suddenly burst after he overfed it with potash. While quite frustrated, he was thankful for this failure that served as an unforgettable lesson in restraint. 

Growing competition-worthy produce takes longer than many people may think. A lot of time goes into guiding the plant through careful feeding, soil science, and constant observation. As Kevin puts it, “When you have a picture standing by a giant marrow, people don’t realize that you’ve grown five of those, and only one survived.” It’s a reminder that big victories often sit on a mountain of quiet failures. Competitive growing is part science experiment, part endurance test, and part love letter to the plant itself.

In it to win it for the community

Perhaps the most well-known event in competitive food growing is the CANNA UK Giant Vegetable Championship, held in Malvern and attended by thousands each year in September. This is the same event Kevin’s dad started years ago, one that has evolved and been protected over decades. Representatives from Guinness World Records show up to log record breaking produce, new contenders bring astonishing entries, and seasoned growers celebrate one another’s achievements. The competition is less of a cut-throat battle for first place and more of a community. Kevin keys in on the environment when he notes, “Sometimes someone will break your record or come in with something heavier or longer, but it’s all part of the fun in growing.”

Giant vegetable growing was once more of a secretive pursuit, with growers closely guarding seeds and methods. Today it leans more toward a community, with growers openly sharing their techniques, seeds, and experiences. Kevin follows his father’s motto—“Don’t let your secrets go to the grave”—and has become a champion of passing knowledge onto newcomers. He’s created a Facebook group called the Giant Vegetable Community, where members bond over a passion for growing, relating stories and shareing best practices. Social media has only strengthened this culture, connecting growers around the world from Hawaii to Russia. 

For many, gardening can mean far more than just a hobby. Kevin often speaks about the grounding routine of tending plants and how that daily purpose can support mental well-being. He’s seen friends find renewed stability through gardening, and he’s watched entire communities—schools, prisons, care homes, and others—adopt growing as a meaningful practice. “Growing doesn’t have any social barriers,” he says. He recollected how an inmate at a prison where he spoke attended the same session three times out of sheer enthusiasm and began growing giant vegetables on prison grounds, to be used in the cafeteria. 

What often resonates most with growers, mentioned Kevin, is the slow, visible progress that gardening offers. In a world often driven by instant gratification and quick results, there are still many who value the patience, observation, and curiosity that growing requires. Giant veg competitions celebrate big accomplishments, but the real reward is in the shared joy of nurturing something extraordinary.

The real prize

As we closed our conversation, Kevin kept returning to a simple truth: food is deeply personal. Giant vegetables may grab attention, but the meaning behind them is universal. Kevin insists that anyone can grow something that matters—whether it’s a world-record beetroot or a single tomato on a windowsill. Gardening invites observation, patience, problem solving, and a sense of purpose. It forces you to slow down, adapt, and try again. At its heart, gardening is a reminder that growth—of plants, of community, or of ourselves—starts with the smallest seed.◆