Ian Neale 81, from Langstone has been growing fruit and vegetables all his life and now he’s recently made history for growing the world’s biggest bell pepper.
Ian’s bell pepper tops the scales at an impressive 996 grams, when asked about his accomplishment Ian said: “I feel chuffed getting first prize is the main thing but to get a world record is a bonus!”
“The Americans say good seed, good weather, good ground, good luck, I use a general fertiliser that’s on the market, and look after them.”
Ian discovered his pepper was a record breaker last weekend (September 27th-29th) at the Malvern Autumn giant vegetable show 2024.
Ian has been competing for the past 30 years and has been growing vegetables all his life.
Ian said the following about his green thumb: “I’ve been gardening ever since I could dig a garden about 5 or 6 years old.
“Its hard work, but just keep at it you’ve got to put a lot of effort into it and a lot of time and its an enjoyable hobby even if you only grow it to eat!”
Ian’s reputation as a grower has also gained him celebrity attention.
The gardener was contacted by American rapper Snoop Dog back in 2012 for ‘growing tips’ after Neale previously broke the world record for growing the world’s biggest swede.
Ian was invited backstage to chat about plant growth with the artist following a gig held in Cardiff.
With no plans to stop anytime soon we wish Ian the best of luck with his growing endeavours!
