The Watercress Festival
Alresford is the capital of the British watercress industry, a fact celebrated in the annual Watercress Festival. With its town centre location, the Pink House Bed & Breakfast is the ideal place to get a taste of the action.
Images courtesy of www.watercress.co.uk
The days when wool dominated the Alresford economy are long forgotten. Today, the biggest business in town is a green and peppery salad: watercress.
In fact, watercress has been grown in the Hampshire chalk streams for centuries. In the 19th century, watercress was a working class staple, often eaten in a sandwich for breakfast. Those who could not afford bread simply ate the watercress on its own, earning it the title the ‘poor man’s bread’.
The importance of watercress to Alresford was cemented in 1865, when the arrival of the railway — today’s Watercress Line — allowed fresh watercress to be transported to London’s Covent Garden Market with ease.
Today, the appeal of watercress is almost universal. Over 20 acres of land are devoted to growing Watercress in Alresford alone, and it is a major presence on the shelves all the leading supermarkets. Watercress is often championed as a healthy ‘superfood’ and watercress recipes range from the traditional salads and soups to trendy stir-fry dishes and smoothies.
The Watercress Festival is an annual celebration of all things watercress, attracting thousands of visitors — and more than a sprinkling of celebrities — to the streets of Alresford. It is a chance to sample watercress in all its forms, as well as other delicacies from Hampshire Fare producers. Entertainment for the entire family is provided by a variety of street theatre performers.
More information
- For more detail on the Watercress Festival, see the About Alresford website.
- For more about Alresford’s Watercress industry, see the Watercress website.
- For more about local foods produced by members of the Hampshare Fare organisation, see the Hampshire Fare website.