We Was Robbed

As the title suggests at yesterday's weigh-in of the Thurrock Potato Growing Challenge, victory was snatched from the Thurrock Learning Shop by TRUP. The 105-day competition reached the winning-line at the Second Generation headquarters located in the modernist landscape of the formed Bata Shoe Factory site in East Tilbury.

For Team TLS it had been a long journey and began with planting the seed potatoes back in early April in a compost including Brixham seaweed and chicken manure. Hopes were high due to the sunny location at the rear of The Old Post Office, the regular vitamin boost in the form of the tomato feed and Debbie's weekly pep-talks. Before long the growbag was being top-dressed and despite ignoring the moon-phase planting plan, the green-shoots appeared to be mapping Baroness Vadera's New Year prophecy.

The results of the competition were;

1st Place - TRUP - 7 kilos
2nd Place - Thurrock Learning Shop - 6 kilos
3rd Place - Thurrock Council Waste Team - 2.25 kilos

Of course, with a yield of such considerable weight produced by TRUP, allegations of compost spiking were levelled and the vague whiff of the 1988 Summer Olympics 100m looked set to descend amongst competitors. Standing strong however, Judge Lettie McKie of the Royal Opera House declared fair-play and allegations of clandestine Furazabol-abuse were dismissed.

The photograph above shows our 2nd-placed newly harvested potatoes after the competition - a great crop from the original 5 seed potatoes and a great way to introduce "growing your own" at work; at the TLS we now have chives, parsley, basil and next year we plan to have a whole lot more. As for the potatoes, this weekend sees them beginning the second part of their journey as they transform (in Debbie's garage) into Casa Correo's inaugural bottles of wine.