PLAYING KETCHUP

PETER HARVEY JETS TO PITTSBURGH, HOME OF HEINZ, TO DISCOVER A CITY HUNGRY TO BECOME THE NEXT BIG AMERICAN TOURIST HUB

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NOTHING says Pittsburgh like drinking pickle juice. “It’s refreshing and very good for you,” declares Dill-cathlon event host Rachael to a whooping crowd.

Picklesburgh - a zany, summer celebration of “all things pickled” - is a headline-grabbing cornerstone of Pittsburgh's tourism strategy.

Why pickles? Well, the city is the home of Heinz where the global brand was born 156 years ago. Dill pickles were one of its original products.

Owner Don Mahaney says: “Like all Pittsburghers, we are fiercely loyal to the region, and uncommonly welcoming to all.”

“I'm kind of a big dill” and “real dill” merchandise is everywhere at this pickle pun festival. Some locals even believe juice guzzling should be an Olym-pickle sport.

Over several days, 250,000 visitors flock to enjoy food and drink while watching other oddball contests such as riding a pickle-shaped bucking bronco.

Joe, from Ohio, was crowned Earl of Eating after gobbling 4lb of gherkins (what we call dill pickles) in just four minutes. Local girl Colleen was the new Baroness of Bobbing for grabbing a bucketful of the baby cucumbers in 90 seconds only using her mouth.

The action takes place in the city’s “Golden Triangle” beneath mirror-glass skyscrapers. Nearby is the iconic Point State Park fountain which stands guard at the meetup of the three rivers - Ohio, Monongahela and Allegheny. With so much water, it's no wonder the city boasts 446 bridges.

Since the Steel City’s decline from the 1970s, Pittsburgh has demonstrated resilience and innovation by rebooting its economy via biotech, robotics, education and creative industries - much like its sister city Sheffield has done on this side of the Atlantic.