Thursday, November 23, 2006

A Healthier Pie-Eating Contest?

It certainly sounds like an oxymoron to me, but evidently someone decided that the annual event held in the U.K. just isn't healthy enough.

One of Britain's quirkiest events, the World Pie Eating Championship, has fallen foul of the healthy eating lobby, with organisers changing the rules and even including a vegetarian option.

"I realise this may be controversial, but this is the way forward for pie-eating at this level," said Tony Callaghan, the owner of Harry's Bar in Wigan, where the annual competition is held.

The changes, which will brought in at this year's event next month, have sparked a row with pie-eating traditionalists who want to keep to the time-honoured rules of munching as many meat and potato pies in three minutes.

Instead, the sport will become a sprint rather than a marathon, with competitors having to eat just one regulation pie in as short a time as possible.

I would think eating one meat and potato pie would be unhealthy.