Gloucestershire gardener grows world record elephant garlic
Graham Barrett from Gloucestershire grew a 1.75kg elephant garlic, setting a new world record for the heaviest elephant garlic.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A gardener from Gloucestershire has set a new world record for the heaviest elephant garlic. Graham Barrett, a retired grandfather of five, grew a bulb weighing 1.75 kilograms at his polytunnel on Primrose Vale Fruit Farm in Cheltenham. The record was registered on 26 June.
Barrett is no stranger to world records. He already holds titles for his giant pumpkin, heavy tomatillo and mighty monch. With this latest achievement, he now has ten world records to his name.
The garlic is mild in flavour, unlike the stronger supermarket varieties, and is popular with gourmet chefs for roasting and salads. Barrett said he gets up at five o'clock in the morning to tend his plants and has had to fend off moles, rabbits and deer that threatened his crop.
He does not plan to eat the record-breaking bulb. Instead, he will use a large clove to grow an even bigger one next year, in the hope of breaking his own record.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| Graham Barrett grew a 1.75kg elephant garlic, setting a new world record, and now holds ten world records; he will not eat the record garlic but will use a clove to grow a bigger one next year. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel focused on the human interest angle, highlighting the skill and dedication of the gardener, Graham Barrett. The tone was lighthearted and admiring, with reporter Ken Goodwin on site comparing the giant garlic to a supermarket clove. The segment also included a brief mention of the ongoing heat health alert, tying the story to local weather.
- “I've got garlic envy because I've got this from the supermarket and I was thinking well that's not a bad old clove but it's pretty miserable isn't it compared to that.”
- “I said to my wife a couple of years ago I'd just be happy having one world record and I've now got ten.”
- “each one of these are quite valuable, valuable for me, I wouldn't say valuable in terms of money but valuable for me.”
Broadcast Timeline
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