Crunchy to the bite, tangy to the taste, and the perfect size for a mid-afternoon snack, there’s nothing quite like the quality pickle. In fact, the unparalleled flavour is so beloved in the Denizen office that we’re forever in search of the finest, pickle-inclusive recipes, from a brine infused Bloody Mary to the ultimate, amped up cheese toastie — but nothing could have prepared us for this. For those of you that don’t know, this Wednesday 14th November marks US National Pickle Day, and in honour of the spicy snack 12 hospitality hotspots will be serving up an array of specially curated, pickle-laden plates — and they’re set to incite a gastronomic experience to remember.

Kicking off the festivities with a fully-fledged gherkin extravaganza is Hallertau, and it’s specially crafted McClure’s Pickle Burger Extreme. Not for the faint of heart, this taste sensation comprises a pickle bun with five separate pickle elements, served up alongside hand-cut potato chunkies topped with pickle salt and beer-battered, deep-fried McClure’s delights. Over in Ponsonby, Augustus Bistro is set to lure in the pickle fanatics with an expertly named Pig Mac, comprising a brioche bun, crumbed pork, sweet & spicy pickles, pickle mayo and oozing gruyere cheese. 

Yearning for something a bit more snacky? Lowbrow has crafted a delectable stack of Nacho Fried Pickles especially for the occasion — think sweet and spicy, corn chip tempura battered sliced pickles doused in hot nacho cheese — while rooftop bar Dr Rudi’s will be offering beer-battered McClure’s Pickles, served up with Clevedon Buffalo Marinated Cheese for the ultimate scooping and dipping snack. Don’t fret if there’s nothing here that takes your fancy, for these hotspots aren’t the only ones getting themselves in a pickle, plenty of other eateries — including the likes of Burger Burger, Culprit, Major Sprout, and Best Ugly Bagels — will be getting in on the action, too.

So whether you have a penchant for the odd pickle or you’re a full-blown fanatic, this Wednesday you can guarantee there’s a bite to suit all. As for us, we’ll be embracing our addiction and hot-footing it around town in a bid to taste them all, with offerings of this calibre it would be rude not to.

To keep an eye on all the US National Pickle Day festivities, we suggest you follow the Facebook or the Instagram pages of McClure’s Pickles distributor, Cook & Nelson.