| Where: | The Bottle Inn, Marshwood, near Crewkerne, Dorset |
| When: | A weekend in June or July |
| Time: | 5 pm onwards at the Bottle Inn |
The famous contest was held for many years at The Bottle Inn and after the closure of the pub the local cider farm took to hosting the event; the Bottle has re-opened so the competition has returned to its Marshwood roots (for a while I expected there could be two rival competitions but this didn’t happen!). The Bottle event is for growing as wells eating nettles: the competition for the longest nettle, which must be from a 10-mile radius of the pub, is measured on the Friday evening while the eating nettles are provided and must be consumed within an hour on the Saturday; the Cider Farm competition was just for eating and lasted for 30 minutes instead of an hour. Competitors chew their way through nettle leaves and many give up or face disqualification (vomiting is forbidden) before the end. It’s one of those modern traditions started off in a pub, dating back to the 1980s and the organisers provide the raw materials of 2-foot lengths of nettle stalk from which all leaves must be consumed. The winner is the contestant who has stripped and eaten the leaves from the greatest number of stalks – simple but not easy given that the leaves sting and cause tongues to swell and blacken (though some competitors tell you it’s absolutely painless!!). There’s live music and a friendly festival atmosphere and nettle themed beer and cider should be available, and plenty more food & drink.
Helpful Hints
In 2026 it should be on Saturday 20th June at the Bottle Inn at Marshwood, with a festival running over the whole weekend.
Double-check with the event Facebook pages as it depends on a good supply of nettles!
Click here for the Bottle website : https://bottleinn.uk
and Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567508729131
Click here for the Cider Farm Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/dorsetnectarcider
Click here for the Cider Farm website: https://dorsetnectar.co.uk
Please note that calendarcustoms.com has no connection with the organisation of this event. As with all of the events featured on our site, we recommend checking details with the event organisers prior to making any travel plans.
Pub is closed and in no condition to be opened in the near future, quite how it is going to hold the nettle eating competition is beyond me.
http://www.nettleeating.co.uk/
Thanks for the update, Tim – doesn’t look too promising for the future of the event unless something happens soon. I’ve updated the entry on Calendar Customs temporarily and will mark it as a lapsed event if there are no signs of the schedule in the near future.
Averil
Hi Averil
There is a 2012 Dorset Nettle Eating competition – now to be held at The George Inn in Chideock. I’ve just created and developed the new website highlighting the event (see website above for URL).
Hi Heather,
That’s good news! I’ve just returned from holidays, so give me a little time and I’ll make a new article with links to your site etc. Nice to know that the tradition will still continue in Dorset!
Kinde Regards,
Averil
Just realised you can’t see that URL! It is http://dorsetnettleeating.co.uk
Hi Heather!
I’ve just done a new post , so have a look at the entry for Dorset Nettle Eating Competiton on Calendar Customs and see what you think. I used info from your website – the only thing that might be useful is a time for the actual competition as not everyone will be able to make it for noon and might think they’ll miss it (I’m guessing it’ll be later in the afternoon/early evening?). I put a photo of nettles on it for now – maybe you can send me a pic or two of the event to swap it for later? I won’t be able to make it this year but hope to in the future as I was disappointed to hear thet the Crewkerne event was finished. God to know that nettle eating is alive and well in Dorset!!
Kind Regards,
Averil
PS I’ll update my website map with your location when I next do a map update (they’re a bit of a faff and I do them at intervals)
HI Averil,
The event we’re hosting at the George Inn is slightly different to the one they used to hold at the Bottle when it was open. The Bottle held the “world “ nettle eating championships whilst we are holding “The Great Dorset Nettle Eating contest” here on the 30th June. It’s possible that one day the Bottle may re-open and want to start hosting their event again so I deliberately have kept it different and am keen to do so.
The times and schedules will be posted on our website once the bands have sorted out there running order, hopefully this week and then it should become clearer!
Thanks for posting our event on your site !
The Bottle…
Hi everyone.
Great news from the horses mouth…despite all the negative press concerning The Bottle Inn and The World Nettle Eating Competition whose routes are traditionally and firmly established at The Bottle Inn, the pub will be re-opening within 5 weeks and the World Champianship event will be taking place at The Bottle Inn, Marshwood on Saturday July 14th, 2012 from midday onwards.
Undisputed world record holder Simon Sleigh and fellow past ‘stingers’ will be officiating at the competition.
The Bottle which is the home of The World Nettle Eating Competition would like it known that the competition which is being staged byThe George Inn is in no way affiliated to the official competition which originated at The Bottle Inn 26 years ago and therefore has no durisdiction both in tital or standings awarded over the official event held in Marshwood.
We are very much looking forward to staging our first event in July and welcoming you all back toThe Bottle and wish all our ‘stingers’ a fairly painless hour’s worth of munching! Good luck and see you all soon.
George and Nigel.
Hi George & Nigel,
Well done for persevering with the anti Spam measures on the website.That’s really great news on the Nettle Eating!I’ve amended my article on the competition so double check I’ve got my facts right when you get a chance. I’m wondering if you’ll revert back to the June date for future years or will stick to July – let me know when it’s decided and I can incorporate that into the article as well. All the best for the reopening and the competition – I can’t get there this year but am hopeful for 2013!
Kind Regards,
Averil
If the nettles is going ahead on the 14th July 2012 why cant i find any contact details or more information, ie camping.
Hi Steve,
Good question!Calendar Customs has no direct connection with the event or the pub but the info should be readily available by now -I would strongly advise getting in touch with the pub directly as the info in the article I recently amended was given to me a few weeks ago and things may have changed.Good luck!
Averil
Hi Averil, do you have any more updates? I presume you are local to the Bottle inn, you seem well informed. Is there a phone number for the pub? We really don’t want to travel to find its been cancelled, and do you know if the camping is on? The farmer was most helpful when we spoke with him 2 years ago, so we hope to camp in his field again.
All info. greatly appreciated, thanks Mike 🙂
Hi Mike!
Sadly I haven’t any more information than what is already on the site. I live far away in Northumberland and all I know about this years event is what the organisers told me a few weeks ago, which is basically what I put on the article, and I haven’t heard any more since then – sorry I can’t be any more help!
Kind Regards,
Averil
The official nettle eating contest is on the 14th of July at The Bottle Inn.
CalendarCustoms.com is intended to provide a light-hearted look at the customs and traditions of the British Isles. Contributors to this discussion are respectfully advised that off-topic and/or defamatory comments will not be published – please take them elsewhere.
Thanks,
The Management.
Just a quick update fromThe Bottle…owing to extended lead times for cellar equipment the Nettles competition will be put back and now held on the 21st July, Thanks for the interest, please call us on 01297 678484 for further infomation…thanks, your Bottle team.
Hi Avril.
Having put a revised date on your web yesterday we must now put the date back once again to August 4th. This is partly due to lead times for cellar equipment…sorry to get technical but the Olympics are to blame! But to all your nettle fans it will be going ahead as will the re opening of the Bottle. Our e-mail address is bottleinnmarshwood@btconnect.com or direct call on 01297 678484 and yes there will be no problem for campers. Thanks again Avril for your assistance.
Hi all, I have been to The Bottle twice this week, and they are on course to open on the 4th August ans hold the World Championship Nettle Eating Competition. It has been redecorated inside and out and is now looking how it should. The new owners are lovely people, very friendly and helpful. I sincerely hope it all goes well for them, and look forward to many pleasant rides there.
Hi,
Have just been informed that the Nettle Eating is listed as the 15 of June unfortunately this is not so, due to clashing of events, we are currently in the process of finalizing the dates for this year and are just waiting to here back from suppliers (3 weeks now) as soon as I have confirmed the new date I will let you know.
Thanks, Nigel!
Hope you get a new date fixed soon – I’ve advised on the site to contact the Bottle to confirm the date if they’re planning on visiting.
Best Wishes,
Averil
Hi Averil,
This years Nettle Eating will take place on the weekend of the 19-21 July with a three day ale and cider festival, with the nettle eating taking place on the Saturday 20th July.
Thanks and all the best,
Nigel, Bottle Inn, Marshwood
Thanks Nigel – wish I could come!Hope it all goes well,
Averil
Hello
We would like to include the nettle eating championships in the next issue of Time Out for our staycations feature. Could you please send me a selection of high res images we could use to illustrate the article?
Many Thanks
Julie
Hi Julie,
Here at calendarcustoms we haven’t any connection with the running of the competition – and it’s still on my “to-do” list so sadly I can’t offer any photos for your article as I haven’t yet been.However, if you contact George or Nigel at the Bottle Inn (the event venue)they’ll be pleased to help you out, I’m sure.Email them at bottleinnmarshwood@btconnect.com or direct call on 01297 678484 – and check out their website at http://www.bottle-inn.net/
It looks great fun though I think when I go I’ll be in the audience rather than noshing nettles!
Best Wishes,
Averil
i’d love to go to the nettle eating contest. does anyone know if they have scheduled a 2015 date? thanks.
The world nettle eating championship 2017 will take place on Saturday 29th July 2017. The original owners have returned from Australia, have refurbished and are running the place themselves again. Approximate start time 5.30pm followed by live music from The Wolf Pack (approx 7pm)
Thanks Gerry for the up-to-date information! Can you point me in the right direction for current contact details/Facebook page or website? All my searches return the old management and closure earlier in the year….
The Bottle is open for business and are working on the Nettle competition but as yet no set date…
Thanks for the update David – let us know when you get the date fixed and we’ll put it up on the site!
Best wishes,
Averil
The Nettle eating competition date for 2019 is Saturday 17th July I have this from the Landlady Of the Bottle Inn at Marshwood as they have booked the band I am part of to play in the evening after the Nettle Competition.
Thanks David – it’s good to have the date nice & early this year!
Best wishes,
Averil
Hi David,
Just went to put the date on the website and July 17th isn’t a Saturday – can you check the date again please?
Thanks!
Averil
Sorry you are right the date of the competition is the 27th, I read it wrong.
It’s easily done! Many thanks for that, I’ll get it up on the site right away!