A RECORD 16,000 people descended on Alresford (population around 6,000) to celebrate all things watercress.

The nationally acclaimed annual Alresford Watercress Festival returned in a blaze of sunshine, with organisers showing off all that is good about “the superb locally grown, delicious and versatile crop”.

On the third Sunday of May each year, the market town becomes the site of a huge street festival, now in its 14th year.

This year’s winner of the Watercress Eating Championships, which are now in the Guinness Book of World Records, was again Glen Walsh, who was congratulated by BBC South Today’s Laura Trant.

Dozens of stalls showcased local food and drink producers. Others sold arts, crafts, jewellery and clothing, items for house, garden and much else besides.

A cavalcade of musicians, dancers and children accompanied the Watercress King and Queen up Broad Street as they distributed freshly cut bunches of watercress to festival goers.

Throughout the day, musicians and street performers entertained on the main stage, in St. John’s Church and on the streets, while chefs demonstrated watercress-inspired dishes.

For the young, there were circus skills workshops, face painting, Punch and Judy shows and a petting farm.

Lucien Hebberd and Skye Parkes from Sun Hill Junior School had been selected as the Watercress King and Queen and kicked off proceedings parading through Alresford on a horse and cart liberally distributing freshly harvested watercress. They were preceded by New Orleans style jazz bands, Morris dancers, fellow school pupils and followed by the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex – well nearly! Look-a-likes of the royals helped retain some excitement from the wedding of the day before.

Over 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.

Over 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 some fabulous Scotch Eggs made by Roy and Sarah Hunt of Tatchbury Manor Farm that used their own pork sausage meat, locally produced Lyburn Cheese and instead of an egg the centre was filled with delicious watercress pesto. Runners up were Olives Direct with their mouth-watering watercress humous.

Throughout the day cookery demonstrations took place showing the enthralled audience how versatile watercress is as an ingredient, not to mention nutritious. Various well-known local chefs and food writers, including Jane Devonshire, winner of MasterChef 2016 took part, helping to inspire home cooks everywhere.

A highlight was the World Watercress Eating Championships. 26 contestants valiantly shovelled 85g of watercress into their mouths and swallowed. Hopefully for it not to come back up! The competitor that ate it the fastest took the title. But, despite the best efforts of many, including The Watercress Company’s MD, Tom Amery, current champion, local Alresford resident Glen Walsh retained his title for the ninth year with a time of 41.6 seconds.