Gooseberry grower faces challenge as he defends reigning title

Many of the best growers competed at shows with the smallest berries for years at the weekend or had no fruit to weigh for the first time.

And with his premier Ann Archer berry of 28pw 21grns winning the Lower Withington Show, Lee was hopeful of producing a big one for the Marton show today, Saturday.

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Lee Warhurst with his trophy and winning berry (Image: Supplied)

But Richard's 30pw 06grns at the village's Dog Inn could prove a berry too far for Lee after a dreadful growing season compared with last year when he regained the title of Mid-Cheshire's top competitor with an Ann Archer of 32pw 11grns.

His chances of keeping the title began to go downhill after a hailstorm in mid-June hit his pens on the Allotment at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire where Lee nurtures his award-winning crop of gooseberries.

Richard Okill after his victory at Over Peover (Image: Supplied)

There was a consolation for Lee from the Lower Withington Show at Swettenham Club as he produced his heaviest-ever set of Millennium twins that tipped the scales at 54pw 02grns - well on the way towards the world record of more than 60 pennyweights.

The box of award-winning gooseberries at Lower Withington show (Image: Supplied)

Speaking after the Lower Withington Show, Lee thought his chances of having the heaviest berry this year depended on what happened at Over Peover but he is up to the challenge with a final week of care among his trees.

Lee said: "I was in Devon in June when I got a call to say my gooseberries were white all over after the storm and that is amazing for summer.

"I am now watering in the hope that I will be able to get the berries over 30 pennyweights before Saturday but five days is a long time and I also have a lot of sawflies."