The BHAS Annual Show will be held on Saturday, 13th September 2025 at Hertford Avenue Allotments, and is open to all.
About the day
A highlight of the allotment year, the Annual Show is a great family day out. It’s a good opportunity to meet your fellow plot holders and enjoy some delicious food. We encourage everyone to participate and enter their plot grown produce. For anyone who hasn’t entered their plot gown fruit, vegetables, flowers or herbs before, please don’t be put off – this isn’t Chelsea Flower Show!
Your entries don’t have to be perfect – just remember:
- Biggest is not always best.
- Try to show entries that are pest and disease free.
- Where an entry comprises several items choose ones that are as near as possible the same size and shape.
- Give yourself plenty of time, and if you can, prepare at least some of your entries the night before.
- Read your schedule carefully and when you pick up your show cards on Sunday morning. Make sure to write your name clearly and put your exhibit in the right place.
- Finally, and most importantly, HAVE FUN!
Tips for Exhibitors
- Uniformity of size, shape and colour is important
- All vegetables should be cleaned and roots washed. No blemishes if possible.
- Cut beans and similar with scissors and leave stalks attached
- Root crops should have tops trimmed to about 8cm.
- Tomatoes and fruit should have the calyx/stalks left on if possible
Event Information
Location: Hertford Avenue allotments (entrance opposite Richmond Park Academy)
10.00 – 11.45am All exhibits must be brought to the tent, together with an exhibitors card and arranged in the appropriate class. Please bring your own plates, if possible.
12.00 Tent is closed for judging. Pimm’s Bar open, BBQ, tea and cakes open.
13.15 Exhibitors tent is open for viewing.
14.00 Prize giving.
14.30 Exhibitors should collect their exhibits.
Food and refreshments
This year we will have a Pimm’s Bar, tea, cake and a BBQ with vegetarian options available from 12 noon. If you would like to contribute cakes or cookies you are welcome to drop them off anytime from 10.00 onwards on the tea table (close to the entrance of Hertford Avenue). All contributions welcome!
Plant Stall
We will also have a plant stall at the show. Please consider planting up a flower pot or two over the next few weeks with any spare perennial plants or maybe some cuttings from fruit bushes ready to donate to the plant stall in September.
Show schedule and categories
Do take a look and start planning what you would like to enter! Exhibitor’s cards can be collected on the day from 10.00. Exhibits should be brought to the exhibition tent on Sunday morning between 10.00 – 11.45. We ask that exhibitors bring their own white plates.
ANNUAL SHOW SCHEDULE AND CATEGORIES
This year we have added several new categories and changed the age range for children’s categories. Please do take a look below at the changes highlighted in bold including cookery, house plants and some new biodiversity categories.
VEGETABLES
- Aubergines x 2
- Peppers x 3
- Chili peppers x 4
- Beetroot x 4 – with 8cm of tops
- French Beans x 6 – any colour, any type (keep stalks on)
- Runner Bean x 6 (keep stalks on)
- Carrot x 4 – with 8cm carrot tops
- Courgette x 4
- Cucumber x 1
- Garlic x 3
- Marrow x 1- no longer than 38 cm (15 inches)
- Onions x 4 – outer skins only removed (leave 3 inches of stem)
- Shallots x 6
- Potatoes x 4
- Pumpkin x1
- Squash x 1
- Sweetcorn x 2 (with outer leaves)
- Beef tomato x 4 – with stalks
- Cherry tomato x 6 – with stalks
- Medium tomato x 4 – with stalks
- Mixed vegetables – 1 each of 5 kinds (presentation up to you!)
- Any vegetable x 1 (this is for any vegetable NOT in the above categories)
- Biggest vegetable x 1
- Herbs in a jam jar – please write a list of the herbs you display on exhibitor card
FRUIT
- Apples x 4
- Top fruit (pears, plums, quinces, etc.) any kind x 4
- Soft fruit, any kind x 10 (where possible leave stems)
- Any other fruit x4
FLOWERS
29. Mixed flowers in a vase, arrange as you wish
30a. A single variety of flowers in a vase
30b. Roses in a vase x 3 stems, same variety
31. Dahlias x 6 stems, same variety
32. Largest diameter Sunflower head x 1
33. Tallest Sunflower plant including head x 1
CHILDREN
34a. Aged up to 6 years. Mini garden on a seed tray – create your own miniature garden.
34b. Aged 7 – 11 years. Mini garden on a seed tray – create your own miniature garden.
34c. Aged up to 6 years. Vegetable monster/pet – decorate and create using vegetables, fruit and/or herbs.
35b. Aged 7 – 11 years. Vegetable monster/pet – decorate and create using vegetables, fruit and/or herbs.
COOKERY
- A glass jar of homemade fruit jam, any kind
- A Victoria Sponge Cake – your family’s favourite recipe
- A glass jar of homemade chutney, any kind
- Savoury bake (e.g. biscuit, roll, scone) x4
- Handmade bread loaf (not made in a machine)
- Homemade spirit-based liqueur (e.g. sloe gin)
HOUSE PLANTS
42. House plant – best foliage.
43. House plant – best flowering.
CELEBRATING PLOTS
44. Black and white or colour photograph celebrating biodiversity on your plot.
45. Most biodiverse allotment pond.
46. Most effective sweetcorn protection – have you been able to keep your sweetcorn safe?!
MAKE US LAUGH
47. ‘Make us laugh’ category for the funniest or weirdest shaped Vegetable or Fruit – open to all ages.
BHAS SOCIETY AWARDS
This year we are introducing a new award and the winner will be announced at the Annual Show. The Biodiversity Plot of the Year is designed to recognise plot holders who are growing and caring for their plot with nature in mind.
- Plot of the Year
- Best Newcomer’s Plot
- Show Person of the Year (for most points scored in show)
- Biodiversity Plot of the Year
Here are some guidelines from Mary Enache on how the best plots are judged:
“I judge the allotments by marking out of 100, with approximately 35% for quantity and quality of produce, 35% for overall appearance (design, not too many weeds, tidy paths..) and 30% for crop protection, care for the environment (ponds, flowers to attract insects, organic gardening) and recycling/composting.”
Criteria for Biodiversity Plot of the Year (plots will be judged across all five sites using the following criteria):
a. Habitats (20%): a diversity of habitats and refugia e.g. pond, log pile, bird boxes, bat boxes, dead hedge.
b. Soil (15%): using homemade compost, wormeries, cover crops, natural fertilisers, no dig approach.
c. Water (15%): collecting rain with water butts and covering any tubs or troughs.
d. Recycling natural waste (15%): compost bins positioned on soil, bonus points for using at least one open compost, creating leaf mold.
e. Pest control (15%): using natural methods/ barriers (no pesticides, herbicides or slug pellets) and wildlife-friendly netting.
f. Planting for pollinators (20%): a wild area (nettles, brambles etc.), wild flower bed, native fruit trees and cut flowers, a diversity of crop species being grown.
The above schedule shows all the classes in the Show.
Exhibitors may enter one or more varieties in each class.
A cup is awarded to the exhibitor with the most points, which are awarded as follows: First prize 3 points, Second prize 2 points, Third prize 1 point.
BHAS Allotment Society 