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Licensee Bernard Harris has won the fiercely-contested Black Beret competition for the biggest onion at The Swan in Inkpen.
The contest is now in it 19th year and contestants eat the winner - the onion, that is - with bread and cheese, while the champion grower gets to don the coveted black beret.
Mr Harris' prize entry this year tipped the scales at 2lb 1oz.
However, he conceded that, in previous years, that might not have made the top five.
Mr Harris explained: "It's been a terrible year for growing onions, with the weather causing a lot of problems.
"When I won it two years ago, for example, the winning weight was 4lbs 1oz.
"Nearly everyone has had problems with wilt and rot this year."
In second place was George Ham from Hungerford and, in third, Inkpen parish councillor Bob May.
Contestants are each supplied with five baby onions plants from the same stock to create a level playing field.
This year, 40 contestants entered but of those, only 15 presented prize onions for judging.
Mr Harris added: "It's been a cold and damp summer and onions need a lot of sunshine.
"I think a lot of people thought their entries would be too small, or they lost everything to wilt and rot."
As to the secret of his success, Mr Harris denies using any secret formula or exotic feed.
Organisers of the Newbury Show have vowed that it will go on this weekend - despite the mounting fuel crisis that threatened to bring West Berkshire to a standstill this week.
As local shops reported the first signs of food shortages and rationing, motorists abandoned their cars or queued for hours for petrol, and local councils cut back on services to conserve fuel, organisers of West Berkshire's premier event remained adamant the crisis would not spoil the big day.
"Of course one has got concerns, but I believe the show will go on," said show chairman Mike Farmer, who said it had enough diesel to power its generators, and that its marquees were already up.
Though they have a smart new heated swimming pool there is to be no more bathing this year for pupils of Parsons Down School Thatcham.
The 42ft by 17ft pool which cost £2,250 was ready for use at the beginning of this term.
Parents raised £1,000 themselves and a further £1,250 was borrowed from the county council.
Most of the pupils have used the pool, but now headmaster Mr Geoffrey Davis, has decided it is much too cold to swim.
"Unless the weather changes drastically there won't be any more swimming until next year," he said.
Parents have already started making arrangements to raise enough money to pay the county back.
The first event will be an autumn fair at Parsons Down on October 25.