Claims extracted
18
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 18 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
68/100
BBC News's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Entertainment
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
- Published
A forgotten vegetable once viewed as peasant or livestock food is enjoying an unlikely comeback in Somerset as a festival in its honour takes place this weekend.
More than 100 people across seven villages between Glastonbury and Bridgwater are now growing mangelwurzels, the bright red root crop crossed between beetroot, sugar beet and chard.
asserted
people → publish → beetroot
The Great Polden Hills Mangelwurzel Day will see vegetables judged in categories like 'Biggest Girth', 'Best Looking Legs', and looking 'Most like Donald Trump'.
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vegetables → see → Trump
Event founder Beverley Finnegan said: "What started as a challenge between friends to grow the biggest mangelwurzel has, eight months later, become a festival with hundreds of locals involved."
asserted
hundreds → say → locals
More from Somerset
Finnegan, who lives in Chilton Polden, said: "I'm a big veggie fan and always really bored with the supermarket offerings.
"
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I → live → offerings
After spotting seeds for sale online I decided to give growing them a go and word spread to my neighbours."
Before she knew it she had 190 members signed up to her dedicated Facebook page.
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members → spot → page
The inaugural Mangelwurzel Day at Edington Village Hall will also feature a performance by Glastonbury folklore band Savage Sisters who have written a song all about the wonderfully wonky vegetable.
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who → feature → vegetable
Sam Charlesworth, who is the chair of the hall, said: "This festival has grown its own legs and roots and leaves and gone very bonkers.
"
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festival → say → legs
It's been six months in the making and turned into this beast.
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It → turn → beast
I'm incredibly proud of it because it's taken that community spirit that we all love and has really grown.
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we → take → that
We celebrate Somerset."
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We → celebrate → Somerset
Proceeds from The Great Polden Hills Mangelwurzel Day will raise money for the village hall and a charity called Seed of Hope, a not for profit organisation that helps people with mental health problems through therapeutic gardening.
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that → raise → gardening
Hollowed-out mangelwurzels are still traditionally carved with faces and carried on Punkie Night celebrations in Hinton St George.
Also associated with traditional West Country competitions and events such as mangelwurzel hurling.
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mangelwurzels → hollow → hurling
From Chelsea Flower Show to Timothée Chalamet
The people of Somerset aren't the only ones to jump on the mangelwurzel craze.
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people → jump → craze
They were featured in the Great Pavilion at this year's Chelsea Flower Show after attracting attention on social media.
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They → feature → media
A mangelwurzel was even used in a 2025 ad campaign featuring Hollywood actor Timothée Chalamet.
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mangelwurzel → use → Chalamet
Both Finnegan and Charlesworth hope the festival will become an annual tradition.
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festival → hope → ?
When asked if she hopes mangelwurzels will soon be stocked by supermarkets Finnegan said: "It's a bit confronting as a vegetable and it does grow to be really huge.
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it → ask → vegetable
"I'm not sure it would ever be really popular, I'm quite happy for it to remain a niche thing."
asserted
it → remain → ?
The Aporia
