The world's largest cauliflower, weighing 54 pounds

This cauliflower weighs 27 kg and has a maximum diameter of 1.8 meters. If it is made into cauliflower cheese, it is enough for a family to enjoy for several weeks. This cauliflower belonging to the Darwin variety beat the former world record holder who weighed 2.7 kg, 20 times heavier than the cauliflower bought in the supermarket.

Gladbrook, 69, started growing the vegetable in July 2013, nurturing it in his own greenhouse and feeding it calcium nitrate. Calcium nitrate helps cells grow and makes the plant stronger. Seven judges went into his greenhouse in Newark, Nottinghamshire, England, and weighed it when the weather warmed up in March.

The judges weighed it at my house because there were no other vegetables entered at this time of year, said Glazebrook, adding that the prolonged cold spell that affected much of the UK in 2013 put a damper on my efforts, but this autumn was unusually mild, which helped me set a new world record. He weighed two cauliflowers on the day, the first not meeting the standard but still impressing with its weight of 23kg.

He is a celebrity in giant vegetable grower circles for setting several Guinness World Records. He grew the world's longest beet (21 feet) and European radish (19 feet 5 inches) as well as the world's heaviest onion (18 pounds) and potato (11 pounds).

The previous world record for cauliflower, which has stood since 1999, was set by Alan Hudsley of Sheffield, England. He grew a 54-pound (about 24 kg) cauliflower. Giant vegetable growing expert Kevin Fordy said that the recent world record set by Gladbrook is a remarkable achievement.

Two years ago, Glazebrook grew the world's heaviest onion.