Could you be the World Watercress Eating Champion?

How good are you at eating your greens? This month, the reigning World Watercress Eating Champion is challenging everyone to contest his title.

This year, the annual Alresford Watercress Festival, which usually takes place in May, has been postponed to September. The festival is one of Hampshire’s quirkiest events, featuring the popular World Watercress Eating Championships.

However, reigning World Watercress Eating Champion Glenn Walsh won’t let this little set back stand in the way of defending his title this month, as he and The Watercress Company have decided to take the contest online.

Used to performing in front of the 18,000 strong festival crowd, this year Walsh stood alone in a watercress bed, spurred on – at a distance – by the regular championship commentator, Paul Reece.

Walsh, a fencer from Alresford in Hampshire, has reigned supreme for the last nine years and is determined not to let his crown slip, laying down the gauntlet to the nation. Last year, it took him just 42 seconds to eat 85g of watercress, but he’s been faster; in 2017 he took a mere 37.6 seconds!

Encouraged by The Watercress Company’s Managing Director, Tom Amery, Walsh ate 85g of watercress in as fast a time as he could, assisted by a bottle of Watercress Warrior from Cerne Abbas Brewery, before his efforts were posted on www.facebook.com/LoveWatercress. Anyone wishing to challenge Walsh can do the same, and be a contender for the World Watercress Eating Champion crown.

The contender with the best time will win a King of the Greens 2020 T-shirt, plus a hamper full of mouth-watering goodies worth £150, donated by Brace of Butchers in Dorset (the UK’s Best Butchers at this year’s Farm Shop & Deli Awards). The funniest video will win a Hamper of £50 (think about location, style and dress, the more outrageous the better). Finally, The Watercress Company will be giving away 25 goodie bags to runners up judged to have made the greatest effort.

When: Challenge open until 25th May 2020
Where: Online
£: Free to enter

More info: www.facebook.com/LoveWatercress and www.watercress.co.uk/blog