Originally started in 2011 by UK cucumber farmers, the event was adopted by Hendrick’s Gin. It is now a global celebration where bars and restaurants host the "Cucumber Currency Exchange," allowing patrons to swap an actual cucumber for a complimentary gin and tonic.

Last year, the hotel group gave away more than 130 free Hendrick’s Gin & Fever-Tree Tonics in just one hour, up from 87 the previous year, as locals and visitors arrived cucumber-in-hand. to take part in the unusual annual exchange.

This year’s event will take place on Friday from 4pm to 5pm, when guests can bring a cucumber to one of the participating Lake District Hotels bars and trade it for a free G&T.

Simple yet quirky,  the event has become a much-loved start-of-summer moment in Keswick, bringing a touch of theatre to the town’s bar scene and giving people a fun reason to call in after work, before dinner, or while enjoying a day out in the Lakes.

Participating venues are:
Inn on the Square
Back Bar
The Kings Arms Hotel
The Skiddaw Hotel

Neels Ferreira, General Manager at Skiddaw Hotel, said: “World Cucumber Day has grown into one of our most talked-about events, and last year was our biggest yet. There is something brilliantly daft about swapping a cucumber for a G&T, and people really get behind it. We are hoping to see even more cucumbers through the doors this year.”

Terms and conditions: Offer valid from 4pm to 5pm only on Friday 12 June 2026. Single redemption only. No alternatives available.