New Rules for Pie Eating Contest
Wigan, England, known for the annual world championship, pie-eating contest, has adopted a new rule in favor of healthier eating. Where winning formerly depended on eating the most meat and potato pies in 3 minutes, it now depends on eating a single pie in the shortest length of time. Gravy has been eschewed as complaints had been lodged that it offered contestants an “unfair lubricative advantage.” A vegetarian option has also been made available.
The following commentary comes from The Guardian:
Tony Callaghan, owner of Harry’s Bar in Wigan, where the competition (was) held.. said: “I realise it may be controversial, but this is the way forward for pie eating at this level.
“We will be inviting challengers to consume relatively small quantities - just one regulation pie - in as short a time as possible.
“It will make for an exciting sporting spectacle, whilst also doffing its cap to government-inspired guidelines on obesity.”
But the reforms provoked dismay from those who have made their names by eating large quantities of pie.
Dave Smyth, a painter from Hindley who won the first contest in 1992 when he ate four pies in three minutes, said: “They’ve taken things too far this year - pies are supposed to be meat and potato and anything else just isn’t normal.”
Last year’s winner Anthony “The Anaconda” Danson, a weight trainer from Lancashire, managed to eat seven pies in three minutes, setting a new record.
The sport’s rules dictate that competition meat and potato pies need to have a diameter of 12cm and a depth of 3.5cm when cooked, with a pie angle from base to top of between zero and 15 degrees. The vegetarian option will be 10cm by 3cm.
“These pies have to be top quality,” said Tony to the BBC.
“we don’t want the cream cracker factor resulting in a dry mouth and therefore what we would term a ’swallow-stall’, nor do we want a filling that is over-absorbent and therefore provokes spongification in competitors’ bellies thereby delivering premature digestive over-capacity.
“A pie that is too crumbly will produce a contest that could result in facial spillage and thereby short-weight consumption - and loss of credibility in the eyes of the world’s gastronomes.
“A pie with too runny a filling might well result in some fast eating times but would not be representative of the quality of pie expected of the world’s top pie-makers.”
Wigans were named “pie eaters,” after a failed strike in the 1920’s when they were forced back to work and “had to eat humble pie.”