A RECORD crowd, believed to have exceeded 16,000, descended on Alresford on Sunday to celebrate the start of the UK watercress season.

The occasion was the 14th Alresford Watercress Festival and there were reports of record sales of the peppery leaf in the week preceding the festival, with more than 50 tonnes flying off supermarket shelves - and the foodies who converged on the ‘Capital of Watercress’ certainly knew how to celebrate.

Lucien Hebberd and Skye Parkes, from Sun Hill Junior School, had been selected as the Watercress King and Queen and kicked off proceedings by parading through Alresford on a horse and cart, liberally distributing freshly-harvested watercress to the crowd.

They were preceded by New Orleans-style jazz bands, Morris dancers and fellow school pupils.

More than 100 stalls lined the streets selling a mixture of crafts and food. The food stall holders entered into the spirit of the event with goods infused with watercress, including scones, fudge, gin, beer, and burgers.

More than 30 food producers entered the Watercress Festival Awards with their wares. The awards were judged by the National Watercress Association’s Charles Barter and BBC South Today presenter Laura Trant. As winners, they selected the scotch eggs made by Roy and Sarah Hunt, of Tatchbury Manor Farm, who used their own pork sausage meat, locally produced Lyburn cheese and, instead of an egg, the centre was filled with unusual watercress pesto.

Runners-up were Olives Direct with their mouthwatering watercress humous.

Throughout the day cookery demonstrations took place. Various well-known local chefs and food writers, including MasterChef 2016 winner Jane Devonshire, took part.

The highlight of the day for many was the infamous World Watercress Eating Championships, with 26 contestants valiantly shovelling 85g of watercress into their mouths.

The competitor that ate it in the fastest time took the title. But despite the best efforts of many, including The Watercress Company’s managing director, Tom Amery, current champion, Alresford man Glen Walsh, retained his title for the ninth year with a time of 41.6 seconds.

Festivalgoers were encouraged to donate money to children’s charity the Joe Glover Trust by growers and festival sponsors The Watercress Company, Vitacress and Alresford Salads in exchange for some watercress smoothies, pesto or bags of the peppery stuff.

Visitors to their stands could also learn more about how watercress is grown in flowing spring water and about its phenomenal health benefits.

Mr Amery said of the event: “It is incredible how each year the festival seems to just get better. There is such a fun, friendly atmosphere and a genuine interest in watercress. It’s a fantastic opportunity to tell people about the remarkable health benefits that watercress provides and to educate them on using it in far more adventurous ways than just in salads.

“Having now taken part in the World Watercress-eating Championships, I would say it is a food to be savoured and enjoyed eaten slowly, but any way you can introduce more watercress to your diet is good!”

The Reverend Julia Miles, priest in charge of the Arle Valley Benefice, said she was delighted to see New Alresford transformed for the day.

“I think the festival has been amazing,” she said.

“We’ve had thousands of people in the church and in Broad Street during the day, it’s just great, everyone relaxing everywhere, eating some wonderful food, drinking and listening to fantastic music. It’s just been great, the perfect day, perfect weather and we’re all thrilled.”

Charles Barter, from the NFU Watercress Association, the principal sponsor of the festival, said: “We had a wonderful day and I’d like to thank so many people for coming along. We’re delighted that we had more people than ever before with more than 16 thousand people attending.

“For us it is very satisfying to see the festival grow. People love it so much, and on the day, everything came together beautifully.”