It’s fair to say that food based challenges are not typical of British culture. Epitomising the “more is better” culture of our more extreme cousins in America, eating burgers twice the size of your head is considered a feat of bravery and warrants at the very least a free meal.
Whilst at one point such an idea would be met with scoffs and the sight of a person pigging out on a Burger with a full cow’s worth of beef nestled between a bun may nauseate onlookers; it’s found its way into British cuisine. More than just a gimmick, there are many who consider ‘competitive’ eating a real passion. Whether you yourself are into the challenge of it all, or if you just want a free meal that might cost a few days of your life, this here article will take you through all of the challenges on offer in Brighton.
Piecaramba!
The Piecaramba ‘Piescraper’ challenge is a tower consisting of 3 pies, mushy peas and a double serving of mash potatoes. The key to this challenge is speed! Anyone who finishes this monstrosity in under 10 minutes is awarded a piecaramba t-shirt and a spot on their wall of fame. The current record is a frankly insane time of 3:46 by an entity known as Jack.
I can only assume this beast is working with the gaping maws of hell to finish with such speed. Definitely a joke in there somewhere… Should you be hungry or foolhardy enough to try this challenge, check out their website HERE. Sadly the Brighton outfit seems to have very recently closed down, but it’s challenge still stands in its Winchester and Southampton locations.
Meatliquor
The meat liquor triple chilli challenge is on paper, less daunting than the aforementioned ‘Piescraper’. However, each dish is slathered in more Jalapenos than the last. You must complete a three course meal of loaded fries smothered in jalapenos, a spicy burger with no shortage of jalapenos and the favourite snack of an iconic hedgehog, a Chili Dog, heaped with… you guessed it. Jalapenos.
That’s not all! This bad boy must be finished in just 10 minutes or you pay for the meal and miss out on the wall of fame. Should you have an iron tongue and finish within the time however, the whole meal is free. Of course, you might need an iron stomach for the next few days as well. If you have a real hankering for lots of green chillies and fancy consuming 2 days worth of calories in one sitting you can find the address below.
Address: 22-23 York Pl, Brighton BN1 4GU
Burgeroff
Ok this one is where the challenges get real. The last two most could see themselves getting through without a time limit and a bit of preparation. Burger off’s XXX Chilli Challenge however, is for people without the ability to feel pain, remorse or sadness. Coming in between 7-9 million scoville, this burger has legitimately hospitalised people.
To the uninitiated scoville is the measure of heat a chilli packs. 7-9 million units packs almost 2 times as much heat as pepper spray, which is non-ingestible and designed to incapacitate a person. You will have to sign a waiver before attempting this. Also important to note: The pain doesn’t stop after the eating, the next day might just be worse. I can only find evidence of one person finishing it, former Big Brother contestant Pete Bennett. They collapsed after eating it and needed an ambulance but recovered.
This challenge has reportedly sent four people into anaphylactic shock. I can’t find what the bounty is for completion of this challenge to make that worthwhile. But, should you be mad enough to try, it is considered the spiciest food in the world, with articles from Australia popping up in my research. I can’t recommend this one as even one bite will incapacitate a horse, but I can’t stop anyone trying, nutters are gonna be nutters. And should you be a proud nutter, or a cyborg, you can find their establishment below.
They also do a huge tower burger, featured at the start of the article, if quantity is more your thing than spice.
The New Oak, County Oak Ave, Brighton BN1 8DJ Website: burgeroff.co.uk
The Bok Shop
Impossible to follow the last challenge really, so let’s get back to something anyone can enjoy. For £15, Bok shop does ‘Wings Wednesday’ All you can eat wings, no time limit, just beat the highscore! The current record reportedly standing at 64 wings. There’s nothing more to it, and it won’t put you in a hospital. It won’t give you a hellish trip to the lavatoire the next day and it won’t cost you a day’s wages if you fail. Just eat as much as you want! If you have a competitive streak, test your stomach’s might and go for the record!
Address: 3-4 East St, Brighton BN1 1HP Website: www.thebokshop.com
