Once again, the sun shone down on an Alresford packed with visitors attending the annual Alresford Watercress Festival. An estimated 20,000 people flocked to join the fun as the annual festival celebrated its 21st birthday, as well as the start of the UK watercress season, a crop that has played a key role in the market town’s success.
Classmates, Toma Macpherson and Aoife McAllister, both aged 7 and from Sun Hill Infants and Junior School, were crowned Watercress King and Queen for the day by Tom Amery, MD of The Watercress Company, with real watercress crowns made by local florist, Wild Bunch. Preceded by Morris dancers and a brass band up Broad Street, they regally dispensed over 300 bunches of freshly harvested watercress to the crowds from a horse and carriage. One lucky recipient received a £25 voucher to spend at West Lea Farm Shop in Alresford, which was tied into a bunch.
As the town basked in sunshine, people took delight in the plentiful drinks and foodstuffs on offer from the 100-plus stalls, many featuring the ubiquitous watercress. One business, Good Fermentation, was awarded the Barter’s Best trophy for the most innovative use of watercress. Watercress was a prime ingredient in their delicious Watercress Kimchi, which judges, local watercress grower, Will Allam of Alre Watercress, and Councillor Russell Gordon-Smith, declared the winner.
Audiences throughout the day sat rapt, salivating as they watched chefs, TV’s Lesley Waters, Suki Pantal, with her use of watercress in Indian cuisine, The Rustic Chef, Martin Dawkins and local favourites, Phil Yeomans and Andy Mackenzie from Lainston House, demonstrate the versatility of watercress in anything from smoothies, salads, curries and even dessert. Inspired by what they had seen, all day a steady troop of visitors walked to Manor Farm Watercress Farm to see and hear how the green wonder stuff is grown.
Entertainment for the kids came in the form of Juggling Jake who taught them circus tricks, the terrifying Spider Mountain, funfair rides and face painting, while the adults enjoyed live music from brass bands, jazz groups, choirs, and ukelele bands, including MEGA UKE JAM a collaboration of ukelele players from across the county who united in a popup session to delight the crowds. Festival favourite TUTO Tribe, with their popular Samba Rock, concluded their set with the inevitable conga of festival goers in Broad Street.
Of course, the Alresford Watercress Festival would never be complete without the World Watercress Eating Championships. Competitors from as far afield as Brighton, London and of course Alresford competed against each other to eat 100g of watercress in the fastest time. Once more, local champion Glenn Walsh triumphed with a time of 58 seconds, but it was a very close call with his watercress eating nemesis, Sam Bath,o who was close on his heels throughout.
All day, representatives from Abby’s Heroes, a fantastic local children’s cancer charity, were encouraging visitors to donate whatever sum they could spare in exchange for a bag of fresh watercress. The money from the day’s raffle also went towards fundraising for Abby’s Heroes and other local charities,* and the festival committee hopes to be able to announce record sums to add to the £60,000 plus that has been raised for these charities over the years.
Claire May, Festival Manager, said: “I’d like to thank everyone involved for making it another amazing festival. To the fantastic volunteers, who give up their time free of charge to help on the day, our generous sponsors, without whom it simply wouldn’t happen, but also the thousands of people who come each year to celebrate wonderful watercress! We look forward to seeing you next time, on Sunday 17 May 2026!”
