Pickle minded? You'll want to know about a certain event at the Dog & Bell in Deptford this November.
On Saturday 7 November 2026, the historic pub's annual Pickle Festival returns for its 30th instalment — a brine-steeped orgy where you can scoff vinegar-soaked veggies — and golden deep-fried frickles on sticks — till your heart's content/stomach's discontent, washed down with the usual excellent selection of beer from behind the bar.
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From its humble (beet)roots in 1996, the festival has swelled to attract hundreds of participants, entering their homemade recipes, in a bid to blow off the socks of the judges (in 2024, Aaron D'Costa was crowned King of the Pickles with his bourbon bread and butter pickles).
Other categories include: preserves, hot sauce, chutney, bread, cakes — as well as arts & crafts and photography. Something for people of all talents, then. Just make sure you enter whatever you're entering by 4pm on the day. It's certainly a novel way to get pickled down the pub.
Pickle Festival, Dog & Bell in Deptford, 7 November 2026
