Award Winners - Crouch Valley (and Monthly News)!
- World of Nishikigoi
- Aug 6
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 7
#Crouch Valley Koi Show
Hello Koi Folk,
I thought I’d combine The Crouch Valley Koi Show results with the Monthly News section to save multiple posts, I hope you don't mind!
I set off in the early hours of Saturday morning to arrive at the Essex-based showground and set up my stand. By the time I landed, the coffee had kicked in and I was bouncing, well, almost, it was the sausage bap that really got me going! I’ve always enjoyed the atmosphere at The Crouch; it’s relaxed, friendly, and the weekend seems to amble on by in a very pleasant way, nothing feels rushed, messy or stressed, which is always a bonus. This year was no exception.
The garden centre where the show is held had recently changed hands, meaning that a few alterations and new rules were implemented. I know there was some concern from the show team, but all in all, I don’t think it affected the show too much, certainly nothing attendees would notice - other than perhaps the new location and a ban on dogs. Speaking of which, the new location worked really well in my opinion and created a better flow around the show vats and dealers stands. The show saw nearly 1,800 attendees, which is absolutely fantastic, I hope it continues to grow as the show team deserve it after all their efforts.
The selection of koi on display was excellent, and (once again) a good force of new exhibitors took part and made an impact, which is brilliant to see. The show had also continued to grow its trade presence, meaning that visitors had plenty to peruse with lots of koi and dry goods on sale.
I recently made a video of the show and what it takes to put it on, so if you’re curious, please give it a watch. There are some insightful behind-the-scenes interviews. In the meantime, here are the Major Winners!
The Crouch Valley Koi Show 2025
Grand Champion
Owner: Matthew Stevens
Showa // 79cm // Takigawa // Grey's Koi
Superior & Jumbo Champion
Owner: Brian Mead
Yamabuki // 98cm // Marusei // Drew Simons
Mature Champion
Owner: Brian Mead
Sanke // 80cm // Nagashima // Select Nishikigoi
Adult Champion
Owner: Steve Rollins
Sanke // 62cm // Takigawa // Selective Koi Sales
Young Champion
Owner: Andy Patten
Kohaku // 53cm // Momotaro // Koi Water Barn
Baby Champion
Owner: Kim Raven
Kohaku // 27cm // Momotaro // Maidenhead Little Hampton
Best Non Gosanke
Owner: Gary Shelley
Golden Corn // 77cm // Taniguchi // Nippon Nishikigoi
Best Doitsu
Owner: David Edge
Shusui // 56cm // Tanaka // Gatwick Koi
Most Unique
Owner: Shelia Hart
Kawarimono // 41cm // New Forest Koi
Keith Holmes Award
Owner: Tom Alderton
Benegoi // 74cm // Sakai Fish Farm // Koi Water Barn
Mark Gardner Award
Owner: Gary Shelley
Showa // Isa
#Absolute Koi - Summer EA Promo
Darren and Donna at Absolute Koi are currently running a 10% Summer Promotion on all Evolution Aqua products - get 10% off with the promo code GET10.
If you’re in the market, it’s worth a look at their website, as they stock most of the range and it could save you a pretty penny, sharing is caring!
#Avenue Fisheries 50th Birthday
Join us as we celebrate 50 years of Avenue Fisheries, the longest-running full-time Japanese koi dealer in the UK! This incredible milestone marks a half-century of dedication, passion, and professionalism in the koi industry.
In this video, I sit down with Steve Field, the owner of Avenue Fisheries, who takes us through the fascinating history of the business from his first trips to Japan, to the creation of his successful pond-building company.
We also hear from loyal customers who share their thoughts on why they trust Avenue Fisheries for their koi needs, plus there’s lots of nice koi and visuals to look at! Avenue Fisheries has become a cornerstone of the UK koi scene, and with their deep passion for the koi hobby, it’s clear why they’ve lasted 50 years and continue to thrive. If you want to discover more about the personal side of being a koi business - this video’s for you!
#EZ Pond Launches New Products
I get fed up with saying this, but Allan’s been at it again! New products have been rolling off the production line at EZ-Pond HQ, including;
EZ Pond Nets - precision protection for the complete EZ range.
EZ Jump Guards - satin finish 316 stainless steel posts for 10mm toughened glass.
EZ TORiiBLADE - redesigned for a fresh look.
EZ Storm Drain (non-aerated) - for those who want a shiny drain without the air!
EZSealFX - a new all-purpose and powerful pond sealant.
EZSKiM - a sleek new skimmer, coming soon!
The top four on the list can all be found for sale on the website. For details on the last two, head to the Facebook page or contact the team directly. Check out the pictures below for a teaser...
#Koi for Sale
Here's this months gallery of koi that caught my eye. Click to englarge the image and obtain a link to the dealers website... enjoy!
#The Scottish Koi Show
Unfortunately, I couldn't attend the show due to emergency pond repairs and committing to a surprise garden makeover for my mum, who had experienced a nasty accident while on holiday.
However, my koi pals Stefan and Mona Malm were in attendance. Stefan is a BKKS-certified Judge who was on duty at the show, and Mona is a passionate and experienced koi hobbyist, often found with a camera in hand. On this occasion, she didn't actually have her camera with her, but she snapped away on her phone and kindly shared the photos with me to give a taste of the event.
Here's a "wee" gallery tribute to the Scottish Koi Show courtesy of Mona Malm:
If you'd like to see the full list of winners and the Offical Photos from the weekend, Joe Mitchell at The Koi Perspective has posted them on his Facebook page below - enjoy:
#Queni Koi - New Koi
Adam at Queni Koi has been moving fresh koi out of QT into the sales area, and luckily Chip AKA Rasta Koi was about to film the goings on. It's a good chance to see some of the larger tosai now available in store. Check out the video below.
#The Koi Place - Filtration
Matt Cameron of The Koi Place is a very nice bloke, but in the past has been utterly useless with keeping his website and social media up to date - he won’t mind me saying that, as they were practically his words to me!
However, he's turned that around as recently he’s been putting himself out there and filming his antics so hobbyists can see what he gets up to. Most of the attention is focused on his Japanese-style filters, which combine brushes and Japanese Matting, mimicking the huge concrete chambers seen in Japan. Some of you may think “they look like a filter I’ve seen before” - you’d be right, but we can’t get into that for legal reasons!
Rest assured, Matt has every right to make these by hand in his workshop and offer them for sale; otherwise, he wouldn’t be! They may not look fancy or high-tech, but they work. How do I know? I’ve run four units (nearly identical) on my ponds and stock tanks over the past decade. But most importantly, the world's best koi breeders have been using bigger concrete versions (with great success) on their indoor growing ponds for an awfully long time!
If you’re a koi keeper who likes simplicity and doesn’t mind pulling a valve for a few minutes, they are pretty bomb proof. If you can commit to dumping them daily while you feed the fish (which takes two/three minutes), that’s where the magic can happen. Matt has also now bolted UV units to them, so they come ready to plug and play. He explains more in the video.
#The North of England Koi Show & Grey's Koi Drop-in Weekend
The Scottish Show and The Crouch might be over and done with, but the next koi show will soon be upon us! The North of England Koi Show takes place on the 16th and 17th August in Sunderland. I’ve attended many times before, and it’s another great show with a tremendous amount of effort put in behind the scenes.
Last year, attendance was appalling, to put it bluntly. I felt awful for the show organisers and exhibitors, because everyone had brought their A-game, but the crowds didn’t rock up. This year, we are hoping things won’t repeat themselves because they have a great show lined up with new dealers, craft stands, catering and more koi!
Furthermore, Grey’s Koi, owned by Athony and Stephen Grey, is based just up the road from the showground and is also holding a "drop-in weekend." It’s a newly formed dealership from two veterans of the koi world, and for show attendees, it means you can not only visit the show, check out the dealers in attendance, grab a bite to eat and see some top notch koi, you can also pop in and make aquantances with one of the UK’s newest koi dealers. Many birds - one stone... Need I say more, Rodders!
The North England Koi Show
Whitburn Church of England Academy SR6 7EF https://www.facebook.com/northofenglandkoishow Grey's Koi South Tyneside - https://greyskoi.com
#World of Nishikigoi
I always plan to have some quiet time after The National Koi Show. The show is the culmination of a very busy period for me with the release of the new magazine, producing the show program and artwork, creating a new mini mag, releasing t-shirts and planning the next lot of content.
However, quiet time never seems to happen! July has been non-stop so far with work and personal life, and it doesn’t seem to be letting up. Although my body could do with a little holiday, it’s been great meeting so many passionate koi folk this month and hearing their stories. There’s so much to share!
Volume Seven has now been made available as a back issue, which you can pick up from the website (link below). I also ran the first Free Subscriber Giveaway, which saw Matt Allen win a 5kg bag of Saki Hikari Balance worth £84.99. I’ll be running more of these throughout the year; all you have to do is be a subscriber of the magazine, and winners are drawn at random as a little thank you for all the support. Huge thanks to Saki Hikari for sponsoring the prizes!
There are two shows coming up in August
The North of England Koi Show 16th / 17th - Whitburn Church of England Academy SR6 7EF
The Great British Koi Show 23rd / 24th - Newark Showground, Coddington, Newark, NG24 2NY
I’ll be attending both, shooting the koi and mingling so be sure to come along and say hi, I love meeting faces new and old! If you’d like to keep up to date with the show calendar for 2025 check out the link
Until next month, enjoy life and hopefully I’ll catch you at the shows.
Best Wishes and Happy Koi Keeping,
Liam
Comments