A keen competitor

We spoke to Martin Davis at Newent Onion Fayre in 1999.

He told us that he had been growing vegetables for 20 years before he thought of showing. He'd visited a show about 10 years before and thought that he could do better, entered his first show, was placed, and caught the bug. He now grows onions, shallots and carrots to exhibit and to eat.

'Make no mistake about it, it's a fallacy that show vegetables are inedible. In fact they're very good to eat,' he pointed out. 'For example, 'British Bulldog' that I've won with at the Newent Onion Fayre this year is a very tasty solid onion that's sound inside. It'll keep for a good six months too.'

He added, 'Showing is a great hobby and I love meeting familiar faces and exchanging banter. It's very good-humoured and fun to be part of.'

Tips for showing...and winning

How do you start? Visit a few shows and talk to exhibitors and officials to find out more about entry and presentation rules. You're half-way to winning if you read the schedule carefully and comply with the conditions. And a copy of the RHS Show Handbook helps enormously.

Roy Haviland, who was judging that day, also advises, 'It may sound obvious, but follow the rules to the letter. Often I can't judge an entry because it doesn't comply. If the class is for five onions, then make sure that you enter five. And for collections, be sure to check that each group is within or above the weight limit, as set out in the schedule. With strings, there are no RHS rules to follow, but it's essential that the onions hold together however they are lifted up. The string should contain the specified number of onions too, which are judged on uniformity.'

He also added a tip for aspiring judges - if you're asked to judge flavours, make sure that you only taste the large onions - they're much milder than the small ones.