Elver Eating World Championships

Elvers of the European eel were historically an important foodstuff in the Severn Valley and their annual arrival in the river was celebrated.

They arrive from the spawning grounds in the Sargasso Sea every springtime, often carried upstream with the assistance of the Severn bore.

[1] At Frampton on Severn in Gloucestershire the celebration of the annual arrival of the elvers became a competitive eating contest on the village green.

[4][9] In recent years River Severn elver numbers have recovered, though they are subject to increased environmental protection measures and the fish are very expensive.

[2][11] The catch is often sold for upwards of £200 per 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) or taken to the Netherlands to be grown to maturity and released into the wild to restock rivers.

[11] The event was well received and since 2015 the Elver Eating World Championships have been held on an annual basis (excluding the period interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic) at the fair, on the Early May bank holiday.