A new world stinging-eating nettle champion has been declared after one hungry participant ate 58ft of the painful plant.
Tony Jeyes devoured 29 2ft-long stems to take the title and was one of the dozens of competitors to take part in the annual event, held at the Bottle Inn pub in the village of Marshwood, Dorset. Mr Jeyes was joined in the winner category by Lindy Rogers, 67, who took the women's title after eating 46ft of nettles.
Tony Jeyes devoured 29 2ft-long stems to take the title and was one of the dozens of competitors to take part in the annual event, held at the Bottle Inn pub in the village of Marshwood, Dorset. Mr Jeyes was joined in the winner category by Lindy Rogers, 67, who took the women's title after eating 46ft of nettles.
Ms Rogers, 67, had only entered the eccentric contest at the last minute but her method of dipping nettles into cider before eating them proved a winner.' I had a nice glass of pear and apple cider which I dunked the rolled-up leaves into to make them moister and easier to go down.' I am thrilled to have won. My tongue is black today but I feel fine.' Competitors have to endure itching lips, a swollen tongue, a mouth stained black by the nettles' high iron content, and burning hands from the plants' sting.
The nettle-eating record stands at a phenomenal 104ft and is held by three-time winner Phil Throme, who did not take part this year. This year's event was the 23rd in the competition's history, which started in 1997 after two farmers had a bet over who had the longest nettles. The loser had to eat a whole stem. Pauline Brookes, the landlady of the Bottle Inn, said the first-time participants who took part were all 'very brave'.She added: 'The weather was lovely and we had a brilliant turn out of competitors and spectators.'
