Most stinging nettles eaten at the World Stinging Nettle Eating Championship (female)

The most stinging nettles eaten at the World Stinging Nettle Eating Championship by a female competitor is 68 feet (20.73 metres), achieved by Lucy Dermody (UK) at The Bottle Inn in Marshwood, near Bridport, Dorset, UK, on 21 June 2025.

Viticulturalist Lucy lives locally in Bridport and before the day of the competition had never eaten a nettle in her life. She employed the "rolling technique" (rolling the leaves into tight scrolls) which made it easier than she expected. Although, after the challenge, she admitted: "By the end my mouth was a bit numb and my hands were tingling!"

The unusual contest came about in 1986 when local farmer Alex Williams presented a stinging nettle that was 15 ft 6 in (4.72 m) long and wagered that if anyone could present a longer example, he would eat it; when a couple from the USA who were holidaying in the area produced a 16-ft-long (4.88-m) nettle, Williams stuck to his word. This would go on to become an annual event that would grow in popularity, welcoming contestants from across the UK, Europe and even from as far afield as the USA, Canada and Australia. It’s thought that nettles (Urtica dioica) grow so well particularly in this region owing to the clay-rich soil and ample sunlight in spring/summer.

The nettles are picked the day prior to the contest and soaked in water to wash them and keep them fresh. They are cut into lengths of 2 ft and the competitors must eat all the leaves on each stem, with the bare stems checked and counted at the end. It’s permitted to drink water (or other beverages) throughout the attempt and the leaves can be rolled, scrunched or dipped into drinks to reduce their stinging potency.

The future of the World Stinging Nettle Eating Championship was thrown into doubt in 2019 when the long-time owners of The Bottle Inn retired and the pub closed down. A 30-minute variant of the competition was staged at the nearby Dorset Nectar cider farm in Waytown between 2022 and 2024. With the reopening of The Bottle Inn in 2025 by new landlords, Tessa and Julian Blundy, the event returned to its original home. As well as the one-hour eating contest (the male winner was Michael Hobbs who consumed 74 ft/22.56 m), the former challenge to present the longest individual nettle stem was also resurrected; in 2025, this was won by Jamie Giles with an 8-ft 8-in (2.6-m) entry.