The Altrincham or Altringham Carrot, known also as the Superb Carrot or the Green topped Carrot, is an old British vegetable. It is said to have originated in Cheshire, North West England, in the early nineteenth century. The first official records date back to 1822, when the Horticultural Society of London said

The  Seeds are not commercially available. This variety went out of favour in the early 1900’s  and therefore disappeared from seed catalogues because it was too long rooted – growers were using a variety of soils and sought shorter rooted varieties which gave more consistent results and hence increased yield. They selected those plants which were most adapted to the growth conditions in their locality.

In 1876, D. Guiheneuf described it in The Garden as “an English variety, readily distinguished from any other. It is said to have originated about 60 years ago in Altrincham, a village in the vicinity of Chester.”

The Altrincham Carrot can be eaten raw or added to cooked dishes, broths and sauces. It can be preserved with salt and vinegar to be served as a condiment.

For more information and with  thanks to the Carrot Museum on this page, who also supplied the photos – http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/altrincham.html