Reviving one of Gloucestershire's wackiest traditions for another year, Frampton Country Fair hosts its annual El-ver Eating Competition on Sunday 14 September 2025, as part of its one-day celebration of local countryside customs.
This stomach-turning contest challenges competitors to eat a plateful of two-inch-long, eel-shaped fish in the fastest time — usually with a spaghetti alternative for children to get involved, too.
Steeped in tradition, the eating competition began on Frampton village green many years ago to celebrate the annual arrival of elvers in the river. These young European eels were prized by locals in the Severn Valley as a freely available source of food.
A shortage of eels put a halt on proceedings for four decades, but the competition made a triumphant comeback at Frampton Country Fair in 2015, using a sustainable Spanish alternative to elvers, made from surimi. The replacement is affectionately known as el-vers.
There’s plenty more to see and do throughout the day, too, with living working countryside demonstrations, dog events and children's entertainment — plus over 400 trade stalls and a farmers' market — also taking place at Frampton Country Fair.
