300 growers flock to the UK's largest ever carrot field for annual demo day

Regarded as the flagship event for the sector, the day gave visitors the opportunity to see over 70 carrot trial plots and the latest developments in carrot production. In total, 39 exhibitors supported the BCGA to share the latest innovations, varieties and growing systems, and to discuss the outlook for the carrot industry following a challenging growing season.

Rodger, who claims the 1km-by-1km 270-acre field of carrots, to be the largest likely ever grown in the UK, said: “The Carrot Demonstration Day provides a great opportunity for almost every UK commercial carrot grower to update themselves on what’s new, as well as to look at, taste and see how varieties have performed in a season blighted by exceptionally dry conditions.

“The variety trials are an essential for growers; this year it gave us all an insight in to how the 70 plots withstood the very dry and intensely hot conditions – it was an opportunity to see which genetics might stand up best in an extreme season. There were varieties routinely grown in hotter countries such as Italy, Spain and Israel as examples, so there was a great deal to learn from the way they are grown and how they performed. Variety choice and selection is vital for us to adapt to climatic changes.”

As Chair of the BCGA, Rodger has been in contact with growers thought out the year, he said: “The carrot growing challenges for 2026 have all been about the weather. It’s been the hottest summer on record since records began in 1884. We have had five heatwaves with temperatures of well over 30C here in North Yorkshire. It started in May – we’ve never had a heatwave that early. The tiny seedling popped out the ground and about 10% of them died and the rest went into shock. But, unlike many growers, we had access to water for irrigation and the crop pulled through, giving us a great field of carrots for the Demo Day.

In other news, the annual ‘best in taste’ competition was held once again giving seed companies to ask attendees to rank varieties by taste. This year, and for the last three years running, BASF Nunhems were awarded the title, with their variety, Ambyance.

Rodger noted the success of the gathering: “It was such a vibrant demonstration this year, despite the stresses we’ve all encountered in growing this year’s crop. I’d like to give a special thanks to our sponsors Elsoms Seeds, Hazera Seeds, and BASF Nunhems, and to event co-organisers Holly Jones and Sam Pope, client managers for the British Growers Association.

Kilburn Catering provided the refreshments which included a banquet of carrot-based goodies including quiches, scones, sandwiches, soups, to even adding grated carrots in the chocolate brownies.

The buzz of the day continued into the weekend with British Carrot Day on Saturday 3 October – a special day in the calendar for growers, consumers, and carrot enthusiasts to celebrate this much-loved and versatile British vegetable on social media. The campaign was set up in 2023 by the BCGA with the overarching aim to increase the consumption of carrots and spread awareness of the realities of growing a crop at scale while continuing to ensure its exceptional value-for-money – at an average of 6p per carrot, and its versatility as a food.

Also announced at the event was that 2027 will be the Year of the Carrot, following on from the Year of the Cabbage in 2026.