A WOMAN with a passion for pumpkins has been crowned queen of the green fingers in a competition to reward the most passionate kitchen gardeners.

Gill Ellis-King, 50, of Woolley Street, Bradford on Avon, has won a national competition run by the New Covent Garden Soup Co to find prized kitchen garden vegetables to inspire their November Soup of the Month.

Mrs Ellis-King spotted the competition in BBC Gardeners' World magazine and her eye-catching array of pumpkins and squash caught the judges' eyes.

The vegetables will now have a soup created in their honour and Mrs Ellis-King will be credited on the packs. She also won £750 of garden vouchers.

Her victory was announced at an exclusive VIP reception hosted by New Covent Garden Food Co at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show on Saturday.

Mrs Ellis-King said: "I am completely overwhelmed. Growing my own vegetables and serving them up to friends and family is a definite passion of mine. I'll be very proud to see my name featured on the cartons."

Nigel Parrot, marketing director of New Covent Garden Soup Co, said: "Gill's prized squash and pumpkin, combined with her obvious passion for raising awareness of the joys of growing kitchen vegetables resulted in a unanimous decision from our judges."