Residents of the United Kingdom have become world champions in nettle eating for the second consecutive year, reports the website infohub.kz.
Michael Hobbs and Lucy Dermody once again claimed the titles at the competition in Dorset. The Britons consumed dozens of meters of stinging stems in one hour, according to the Guinness World Records website.
The latest World Nettle Eating Championship took place at The Bottle Inn pub in the village of Marshwood. Among men, local resident Michael Hobbs won for the second year in a row, managing to eat 16.46 meters of stinging stems in an hour. In the women's category, Lucy Dermody retained her title with a result of 20.73 meters.
The competition has been held since 1986. According to the rules, participants must eat only the leaves from 60-centimeter stems, which are pre-soaked in water to remove insects. The bare stems are counted by judges after an hour. Drinking water is allowed, and participants may roll the leaves to reduce the burning sensation.
Participants inevitably suffer burns on their lips, and their tongues turn green. Lucy Dermody admitted that before her first participation in 2025, she had never tried raw nettles. Organizers note that the unusual tournament originated from a dispute between local farmers and now attracts participants from the US and Vietnam.