In the United Kingdom, in Dorset, a "World Nettle Eating Championship" is held annually in a "World Nettle Eating Championship".
The competition takes place in "The Bottle Inn", an ancient brewery in Marshwood, Dorset, England. The building, which dates back to the 16th century AD, was born near a church and served only "ale" beer. However, it was called "The Bottle Inn" only in the 18th century, when it became the first inn in the area to sell bottled beer. Throughout its history, "The Bottle Inn" also served as a village shop and, during the Second World War, as a village school.
The event began as a "beer festival" and the race is a popular student event. In this tournament, which attracts thousands of people every time, the competitors try to eat nettles (60cm long each) in the shortest possible time; the winner is the one who eats the most.
The competition dates back to the second half of the 1980s, when it was born to resolve the diatribe between two farmers who were discussing who had the longest nettles; in the discussion, one of the two promised to eat whatever nettles were longer than his. The tournament has two separate sections, for men and women, and attracts competitors from countries as far away as Canada and Australia.
In June 2010, Sam Cunningham, a Somerset fishmonger, won the contest after eating 74 feet (23m) of nettles; in June 2014, Phillip Thorne, a Colyton chef, won the contest after eating 80 feet (24m) of nettles
This is certainly not a usual practice and, to be honest, not even very healthy. Unfortunately the photographs of the participants at the end of the competition are not available.
