David and Hannah said: ‘It was a pleasure to see the achievements of the plot holders but nevertheless difficult to have the responsibility of singling out winners.

It was ironic that the judging started in a rain shower, considering 2025 had been in the top ten driest summers and the warmest since records began. Another challenging year for growing therefore, but Stone’s allotmenteers had risen to it and produced vegetables, fruit and flowers in abundance. Watering is of course a priority in these times, but the weeds still grow and there are always pests that try to catch you unawares and eat your crop for you.

We found tidy ordered allotments, plots with personality, diverse mixes of produce, a kindness to nature and of course some plots that were clearly ‘work in progress’. The potential amount of fruit was remarkable and must have been a challenge to harvest and utilise since the time of the judging in early August.

Gardening and growing is reflective of the individual; the amount of time, knowledge and skill someone has and their taste and aspirations. The allotments are very personal, so judging is difficult, and the results are our opinion, on the day, of the best combination of quality, diversity and consideration of nature and the environment.

The plot holders we were lucky to meet were proud of their allotments, keen to show off their achievements and to point out the challenges. It is obvious that there are community, social and wellbeing benefits to allotments that go alongside producing healthy vegetables, herbs, fruit and cut flowers. The hard work and enjoyment of plot holders is clear to see’.