Seven years ago a group of Teviot Valley retirees started "skiting" to each other about who had the best tomatoes.
A plan was hatched to put people in their place and prove once and for all who was the best grower — but results were not as expected.
A fierce competition has now become an annual fixture held the same time as the Mt Benger A&P Show.
Retired farmer Owen Perkins, who relocated to Wānaka last year, said the competition was the only way to determine who had the best tomatoes.
"We all knew they were b........... so we thought there was only one way to settle it — and we got an awful shock."
The group had an impartial and allegedly bribable judge take a day visiting each of their greenhouses and comparing their produce.
It is serious business.
Each crop is judged on its health, yield, colour and, most importantly, the taste, which holds the greatest weight.
The competition has not been without controversy.
Plenty of underhanded tactics are known to take place — one year tomatoes were sown on to a vine as a test for the judge at the time.
Visiting each others’ greenhouses was a "wake up call" for them all, Ken Bain said.
Along the way dressing up became part of the criteria.
"It started as well as a fun afternoon and a get-together, just to take the pressure off growing these good tomatoes.
"Some of them started wearing wigs ... John’s probably the weirdest one here, so he started it and it’s just grown," Mr Bain said.
A trophy was custom-made by wood-carver and occasional judge Murray Sheppard, giving the winner more than just bragging rights.
"It was felt that they needed something so being a sculptor and wood-carver ... I could do something and this is the result of a wee bit of work," Mr Sheppard said.
"We’re looking for a name for it so if you can come up with one ... that would be great."
This year the competition came down to the wire.
There were only four points in it, but in the end it was Tony Omand’s tasty tomatoes that came up trumps — much to his surprise.
"What caused that, Perky?," he asked the judge, Mr Perkins.
"You gave me the biggest bribe," was the reply.
