World nettle eating competition returns to Dorset pub

• The World Nettle Eating Competition has returned to the Bottle Inn Pub in Marshwood, Dorset, after a hiatus.
• Contestants in the competition eat 2-foot lengths of stinging nettles, with cider provided to assist consumption.
• This year, Michael Hobbs won the men's competition by eating 74 feet of nettles, and Lucy Dermody won the women's competition with 68 feet.
• The competition began around 40 years ago as a nettle growing contest, evolving into an eating challenge when a participant offered to eat any nettle longer than his own.
• During the Bottle Inn's closure since 2019, the competition was temporarily hosted by Dorset Nectar Cider Farm.

IN FULL

World nettle eating competition returns to Bottle Inn Pub in Dorset