ALRESFORD’S world-famous Watercress Festival on May 17 may have been postponed to September – but Glenn Walsh, the reigning world watercress eating champion, won’t let that stand in the way of defending his title as he and The Watercress Company take the contest online.

Used to performing in front of the 18,000-strong crowd that visits the annual festival to celebrate the start of the UK watercress season, Glenn, a fencer from Alresford, has reigned supreme for the past nine years and is determined not to let his crown slip – so he has laid down the gauntlet and challenged the nation.

Last year his time to eat 85g of watercress was just 42 seconds but he’s been faster; in 2017 he took a mere 37.6 seconds!

Glenn explained: “I’m from a litter of five and if you left your hand on the table for too long at meal times, it was gone. Eating fast was a necessity!

“It’s great to have the chance to widen the field and get some more competition involved with the World Watercress Eating Championships.”

Encouraged by The Watercress Company’s managing director Tom Amery, Glenn ate the 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/ where anyone can do the same and be a contender for the world watercress eating champion crown.

Tom said: “All you need to do to enter is get an 85g bag of watercress and video yourself eating it. Simply upload your video to the Love Watercress Instagram or the Facebook event and nominate five of your pals to take part. Use the hashtag #kingofthegreens.”

There are prizes, too. The person with the best time will win the King of the Greens 2020 T-shirt plus a hamper full of mouth-watering goodies worth £150 donated by Brace of Butchers in Dorset, who were judged the UK’s best butchers at this year’s Farm Shop and Deli Awards.

The funniest video will win a hamper of £50.

Finally, The Watercress Company will be giving away 25 goodie bags to runners-up judged to have made the greatest effort.

Entries will be accepted until Monday, May 25 when winners will be announced.

“Good luck!” added Tom.