Allostock
Parish Council Website

History

When: 2 August 2008

Where: Drovers Arms, Allostock

Gooseberry growing is a serious business in Cheshire where the annual gooseberry shows are held. Shows are staged to judge the heaviest single gooseberry, the heaviest ‘gooseberry twins’ (two berries on the same stalk), the heaviest ‘gooseberry triplets’ (three berries on the same stalk) and the heaviest plate of 12 (paper plate with 12 berries collected together).

Dating back to 1800’s, the shows generate a lot of local excitement and at their peak in the 1800’s, there were more than 120 gooseberry shows held in the regions of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Today, the shows are limited to Cheshire and one at Egton Bridge in Yorkshire and attract about 100 entrants. At the shows, the weight of each gooseberry is carefully recorded in pennyweights and grains. The largest gooseberry ever entered in the competition was as large as a hens egg and weighed in at around 39 pennyweights or 2.18 ounces. This was grown by Kelvin Archer who has produced the heaviest gooseberries on more than five occasions.

The Allostock Gooseberry Association

Allostock Gooseberry Society

Dates of Shows:

Last Saturday in July
Crown of Peover;
Goostrey;
Holmes Chapel;
Lower Withington;

First Saturday in August
Drovers, Allostock;
Marton;
Swettenham;

First Sunday in August
Parkgate, Over Peover;

Mr J Hart on 01565 631043

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