The Guinness Book of Records might have information on the highest number of sprouts eaten in one hour (2,437 sprouts at an astonishing rate of 40 sprouts per minute), but what it doesn’t have, is information on is the record for picking sprouts. For three years in the 1930s (some two decades before The Guinness Book of Records was first published), an All England Sprout Picking Championship took place in the Vale of Evesham to decide just that.
In January 1931, George Hunting of Ashton-under-Hill claimed to have picked 40 pots (approximately 1,000 lb) of sprouts in approximately eight hours. The statement was regarded with a certain amount of scepticism. His feat was recorded in The Evesham Journal at the time and the controversy which arose out of that claim largely influenced the promotion of a championship (the friendly differences between two or three Evesham growers as to the capabilities of certain of their workers, had led to the idea of a competition). An article two weeks later stated: “The time seems opportune for someone to inaugurate a sprout picking championship with a handsome cup for annual competition.”
The first All England Sprout Picking Championship
On Tuesday 3rd January 1933, the very first sprout picking championship was held on Mr Alec Curnock’s Farm at Church Lench. It was the only competition of its kind in the country, and thus the result would carry with it the national championship.
The prizes were a challenge cup with three guineas, a second prize of two guineas and a third of one guinea. In addition, there was a suit of clothes or an overcoat (choice resting with the winner), given by Mr J H Betteridge, and a “skinful of cider” presented by Mr A Curnock.
Picking took place from 9 am to 12 noon and all picking was paid for at threepence per half net. The number of entries was limited to 20 (although in the end, 23 people took part) and had to be made through the picker’s employer to one of the following people: Mr J M Hodges, Lower Leys, Evesham, Mr George E Witts, Elm Road, Evesham, or Mr Hector W Smith, Offenham. Intending participants had to be able to pick at least 30 pots in an ordinary working day, as this was one of the qualifications for entry. They were also asked to provide their own backache powders!
The potential competitors were reported to be in strict training for the new event and entries were being received by the organisers from men who were known to be the pick of the pickers. The fame of the contest grew daily, and skilled sprout pickers from as far away as Exeter, Bedfordshire, Tamworth and Lichfield had made application for competitors’ licences but the organisers decreed that, for this year at any rate, they would confine the championship to Evesham and district.
George Hunting, the unofficial holder of the sprout picking title, had been due to take part. As the article in The Tewkesbury Register of 31st December 1932 concluded: “Mr Hunting is at present hot favourite for first place, but his opponents are hoping to spring a surprise which will shake the sprout picking world from stem to stern.” However, on the day, he was in bed with influenza and was unable to participate.
The event attracted considerable interest with some 400 spectators present. From early on, lorry-loads of pickers and spectators flocked into the district from all parts of the Vale.
The competitors, equipped with half-pot nets (holding 20 lb) were each allotted a separate steward who took up places with a pair of scales near to the various plots for which the competitors drew. The umpire sounded his whistle at 9 am and the men, working at top pressure, proceeded to fill their containers.
At 10 am, a whistle was sounded as an indication for the competitors to “weigh in” their harvest. They hurried to their respective stewards with the result of their first hour’s work. Five of the competitors had each picked 220 lb of sprouts.
A similar procedure occurred at 11 am. By then, three of the five held an equal advantage over the other competitors, each having 460 lb to his credit.
At noon, the contest ended. In the last hour, Mr Gilbert Stanley of Bretforton, who had been one of the leaders throughout the competition, drew ahead and picked 314 lb of sprouts, bringing his total up to 774 lb in three hours.
The second award went to Mr A Vincent and the third to Mr V Malin, both of Evesham. Consolation prizes went to Mr A Dallard and Mr G Sutton. Of the 23 participants, one was from Badsey: W Malin who picked 34 half-nets, 18 lb.
As the journalist from The Gloucestershire Echo put it:
In three hours yesterday 23 men picked more than six tons of sprouts – enough to supply the whole population of Cheltenham with a second vegetable for their dinners.
Whilst The Birmingham Daily Gazette reporter was more of a killjoy:
For every sprout that they [the hundreds of spectators that flocked to the event] watched being picked, something had been left undone elsewhere. Whether the next productive result to the community was loss or gain, we cannot compute. But man does not live by sprouts alone.
After the championship, a banquet was held at The King’s Head Hotel, Evesham.
The second All England Sprout Picking Championship
There was no competition in 1934 or 1935. The second All England Championship took place in a 10-acre field at Kersoe near Pershore on Tuesday 14th January 1936 with 16 participants. The field was owned by Mr F Humphries and the crop by Mr Jack Hodges.
The weather was inclement. It was the coldest January day for ten years. The countryside – and the growing sprouts – were cloaked with a thick mantle of frost. As a result, the competition started 3½ hours late, at 12.30 pm. The sprouts were decreased in size and quality due to the hard weather and were like little green balls of ice, making picking extremely difficult.
Thirty competitors had entered, but 14 of them, including Gilbert Stanley of Bretforton, the winner of the last contest and the favourite, was not present. Apparently he and a number of other Bretforton pickers were led to understand that the contest had been abandoned because of the weather.
The start was signalled by the blast of a whistle amplified by loud-speakers, and the pickers started their task to the accompaniment of dance music which was also amplified. Each competitor had to supply his own net stands. It was ruled that every plant had to be cleaned of sprouts and special emphasis was laid on the fact that only good quality sprouts were to be picked. The time period for picking was reduced from three hours to two hours.
A maximum of 30 points was awarded – 15 points for the quality of the sprouts picked, 10 points for the total weight picked, and 5 points for the general appearance of the nets in which the sprouts were tied.
The winner was John Griffin of Evesham who, from the start, was noted to be an experienced picker. He gradually forged ahead and, at the end of two hours, under the prevailing difficulties, he did extremely well to weigh in 11 half-nets (of 20 lbs each) and 9 lbs. Quality was also taken into strict consideration. His nets were neatly tied up, looked nice and fresh, and were definitely deserving of most points.
The 16 competitors gathered between them 111 nets (20 lbs each) – 2,220 lbs in two hours. It was noted that these figures were very misleading. In good weather and under normal conditions, the pickers would have more than doubles that total, but the conditions were undeniably cruel.
The third All England Sprout Picking Championship
Possibly because the conditions had been so poor in January 1936, a third sprout picking competition was held in November of the same year. This took place on Tuesday 24th November 1936 at White House Farm, Charlton, near Evesham, by kind permission of Mr J M Stokes.
The day of the competition was a typical November day, cold and foggy with a nip in the air, but considerably better than on the previous occasion. As before, thick fog enshrouded the pickers who worked to the rhythm of amplified gramophone music.
This year’s champion was 38-year-old George Hunting of Ashton-under-Hill who, five years previously claimed to have picked 40 pots of sprouts in approximately eight hours. Hunting, who had been employed by Messrs Archer and Bailey since leaving school some 24 years ago, vindicated his claim, picking at a faster rate than he was stated to have done five years ago. He picked 347 lb of sprouts in the 90 minutes allotted, but runner-up – W Troughton of Badsey – picked 400 lb and headed the field for quantity. But the competition was about quality as well as quantity and Hunting was deemed to be the best all-rounder. The two former champions – Gilbert Stanley of Bretforton and John Griffin of Evesham – both picked approximately 380 lb but were not placed in the first six.
The Badsey competitor who came second was William (Bill) Robert Troughton, employed by Mr G W Witts of Evesham. He picked 20 nets (about 8,000 sprouts, nearly 90 sprouts a minute). According to the report in The Daily Express, he kept his left thumbnail specially manicured for the job. Bill Troughton had moved from Bengeworth to Badsey in 1925 when he married Badsey-born Gertrude Clare Ballard. They had a son, Robert, who attended Badsey School, and they lived on Brewers Lane with Gertrude’s parents. After Gertrude’s death in 1938, aged only 34, Bill returned to live in Bengeworth.
Another local person who did well was George Sutton of Wickhamford who came fourth.
Amongst the 48 people taking part were two women, Mrs Joan Perry and Mrs Mary Wilson, both of Tardebigge, near Bromsgrove. The Cheltenham Chronicle reporter noted:
The claims of women that they are no longer the weaker sex were furthered at the English sprout-picking championship at Charlton, near Evesham when, to general surprise, it was found that two women had entered for the competition. Tuesday was the third time the competition – the only one of its kind in the country – had been held, and it was the first time that a woman had aspired for championship honours in this kind of contest.
The fact that there were women competing probably urged the men on. To be beaten by a woman in picking sprouts is quite below the dignity of the male picker. But they had no cause to fear; the odds were too heavy against the women.
Nevertheless, Mrs Perry and Mrs Wilson each picked just under 300 lb. As they progressed along the rows, they were followed by a small number of people, but they paid no attention to the “advice” offered. The women were awarded special prizes and were personally congratulated by the judges.
At the end of the competition, the championship pick of 347 lb was sold on behalf of Evesham Hospital and Pershore Cottage Hospital by Mr A E Lavell of the Central Market, Evesham, and realised a sum of £41 7s 5d.
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There are no more reports of a sprout-picking championship after November 1936, so it is assumed that just the three competitions were held.
Maureen Spinks, August 2025