THE Daily Express relates the tale of distraught vegetable grower Dale Toten who spent nearly a year cultivating a giant cabbage only for a chef to hack it up and serve it to hotel guests just a week before it was due be shown at a competition.

Dale had nurtured the giant cabbage in his vegetable garden at the luxury hotel and restaurant Ston Easton Park in Somerset.

He was horrified to discover a large portion of the cabbage shredded and awaiting to be turned into confit of cabbage after being hacked off by an over-eager member of staff despite the fact that chefs had been briefed that they should steer well clear of Dale's prized giant varieties.

The hotel's operations director, Nick Romano, commented: “Dale nearly throttled the chef. He was very upset that morning. He was close to the point of tears.”