Garlic Competition

The Garlic Competition is back on in 2027! Help us to keep this tradition of celebrating beautiful Tassie grown garlic alive. As always it will be a friendly, fun contest with some great prizes to be won.

The competition is open to both professional and amateur garlic growers of all ages, and we have some fantastic prizes for the winners, including the coveted “golden globes”.

2027 Garlic Competition Entry Form and Guidelines

download entry form

GUIDELINES FOR GARLIC COMPETITION ENTRY

Open to both professional and amateur garlic growers of all ages
All entries must be grown in Tasmania by the person named on the entrant form and exclude store bought garlic
You can submit entries into as many groups as you are eligible for
Each entry must be accompanied by a separate entry form
Only one specific entry per competitor can be entered in each group (e.g. you cannot submit more than one entry to the Turban group or to the Creole group). Note that you can submit multiple entries into the “Other group” category (e.g. you can submit both a Creole and a Porcelain entry)
You can submit entries into as many groups as you are eligible for
If you need help to work out what group your garlic might belong to you could refer to the website www.australiangarlic.net.au that sets out all the garlic groups and many of the cultivars as well
Penny Woodward’s book “Garlic” is also an excellent source for garlic identification

PRESENTATION OF ENTRIES

Garlic must be representative of the group in which it is entered
Categories 1-4: These categories require three bulbs of the same group to be entered. Bulbs should be consistent in shape, size, colour and presentation
Category 7: A length limit of 1 metre and minimum of 10 bulbs
Evidence of good curing and trimming practice is important
Paper/skin should be intact in keeping with group characteristics
Garlic roots should be trimmed to less than 6mm and stems to approximately 40-50mm, dirt should be brushed off the roots
Neat and clean garlic presentation is important for hygiene, which is a significant assessment criterion
Garlic should be disease free. Evidence of disease will incur assessment penalties. Common diseases that judges will look for are fusarium (basal rot), white rot, downy mildew, botrytis rot and penicillium decay

JUDGING PROCESS

All entries are blind judged
Judging will take place on Friday 26th February 2027
Categories 1-4: Sample garlic bulbs will be cracked, cut, examined and tasted by judges. Judges may elect not to taste garlic that shows signs of disease, is not representative of the group in which it is entered or is not presented in accordance with competition guidelines
Brief judging feedback notes will be provided to entrants

Best in Show will be awarded to the highest scoring entry from Categories 1 – 4

Where there are a sufficient number of entries in a particular garlic group in the ‘Other’ groups category, that group may be judged separately
Prizes will generally be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each category and to Best in Show, although judges may decide that not all prizes will be awarded

JUDGING CRITERIA
Categories 1—4: Turban Group, Standard Purple Stripe Group, ‘Other’ Groups and Junior

Presentation: Uniformity of bulb shape, size and colour ; quality of curing and trimming
Condition & quality: Hygiene (freshness, cleanliness, firmness, evidence of disease); taste and aroma

Categories 5 and 6: Best Three and Elephant/Russian

Presentation: Bulb shape, size and colour; quality of curing and trimming
Condition & quality: Hygiene (freshness, cleanliness, firmness, evidence of disease) (no cracking and tasting)

Category 7: Plaited Garlic

Presentation, condition and quality: Bulb shape, size and colour; quality of curing and trimming; Hygiene (freshness, cleanliness, firmness, evidence of disease) (no cracking and tasting)
Plait technique and style

GARLIC DISPLAY AND PRIZE GIVING

All entries will be displayed at the Koonya Garlic Festival on Saturday 27th February 2027 between 10.00am and 3.00pm
Placegetters will be announced and prizes awarded on Saturday 27th February 2027

COLLECTING YOUR GARLIC

You can collect your garlic in person from the display area between 3.00pm and 4.00pm on the day of the festival or from the Koonya Hall between 10.00am and 11.00am on Sunday 28th February 2027. Alternatively, you can arrange with the competition organisers to collect your garlic after the weekend of the festival

ENTRY LODGEMENT
Entries can be dropped off at the following locations:

Chandlers Nursery (75 Queen Street, Sandy Bay)
Sunday 21st February 9.30am – 5pm
Monday 22nd February 8.30am – 5pm
Tuesday 23rd February 8.30am – 5pm
Wednesday 24th February 8.30am – 5pm

New Town Station Nursery (65 Bellevue Parade, New Town)
Sunday 21st February 8.30am – 5pm
Monday 22nd February 8.30am – 5pm
Tuesday 23rd February 8.30am – 5pm
Wednesday 24th February 8.30am – 5pm

Stoneman’s Garden Centre (94 Grove Road, Glenorchy)
Sunday 21st February 9.30am – 5pm
Monday 22nd February 8.30am – 5pm
Tuesday 23rd February 8.30am – 5pm
Wednesday 24th February 8.30am – 5pm

Bendigo Bank Nubeena Branch (1628 Main Road, Nubeena)
Tuesday 23rd February 9.30am – 1.30pm, 2pm - 4.30pm
Thursday 25th February 9.30am – 1.30pm.

Koonya Hall (564 Nubeena Rd, Koonya)
Friday 27th February 8am - 11am

All entries must be lodged by 11am Friday 26th February 2027. No late entries will be accepted.

Competition Enquiries:
Email: koonyagarlicfestival@gmail.com