View source for World Pie Eating Championship

{{Short description|Annual competitive eating competition}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

[[File:World Pie Eating Championship 2024.jpg|thumb|Remants of pies from losing contestants in 2024]]

The annual '''World Pie Eating Championship''' is usually held at ''Harry's Bar'' on Wallgate, [[Wigan]], [[Greater Manchester]], [[England]]. The competition has been held since 1992. In November 2006, a vegetarian version was added<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/food/Story/0,,1955147,00.html|title=Pie-eating championship goes slimline|work=guardian.co.uk|date=23 November 2006|location=London|publisher=Guardian News and Media}}</ref>  after "relentless pressure", from [[The Vegetarian Society]]'s Keith Lorraine and Phil English.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/7142115.stm|title=Dog jeopardises pie championships|date=13 December 2007|work=BBC News}}</ref>

In December 2006, in the competition, the [[meat and potato pie]]s were all 12&nbsp;cm (5&nbsp;in) in diameter with a depth of 3.5&nbsp;cm (1.5&nbsp;in). In the separate vegetarian contest, the pies were 10&nbsp;cm (4&nbsp;in) by 3&nbsp;cm (1.2&nbsp;in).<ref name=men>{{cite news|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/only-one-pie-each-at-world-1048643|title=Only one pie each at world title scoff|date=22 November 2006|work=Manchester Evening News|last=Rooth|first=Ben|publisher=M.E.N. Media|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530214028/http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/only-one-pie-each-at-world-1048643 |archive-date=30 May 2016 }}</ref> In December 2007, in the competition, entries included a competitor's dog, Charlie, who had eaten twenty pies and damaged a further ten the night before the competition, nearly jeopardising the event.<ref 
name="news.bbc.co.uk"/>

==Winners==

===1992===
Dave Smyth, a painter from [[Hindley, Greater Manchester|Hindley]], won the inaugural contest in 1992, when he ate four pies in three minutes.

===1995===
Dave Williams of [[Preston, Lancashire]].

===1998===
Scott Ormrod of Aspull, [[Wigan]], Greater Manchester, eleven pies in thirty minutes.

===2005===
Anthony "The Anaconda" Danson, a weight trainer from Lancashire, managed to eat seven pies in three minutes, setting a new record.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1505589/Pie-championship-is-a-piece-of-cake-for-The-Anaconda.html |title=Pie championship is a piece of cake for The Anaconda |author=Neil Tweedie |publisher=The Telegraph |date=16 December 2005 |access-date=14 April 2010}}</ref>

===2006===
[[Matt Dunning]] ([[Australian Rugby Union]]).

===2007===
Adrian Frost (42) from [[Wigan]] who downed his pie in a record breaking 35.86 seconds <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wigantoday.net/video-archive/The-pie39s-the-limit-for.3591521.jp|title=The pie's the limit for Adrian|date=14 December 2007|publisher=wigantoday.net|access-date=24 February 2009}}</ref>

===2008===
Fred Wyatt, a sixty one year old warehouse packer won the 2008 Championship, which was broadcast live on the internet by pie per view.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g9LGRWxYwbBezg_HsTfLcgfUsDgg |title=AFP: Local cleans up in World Pie Eating Championships |website=[[Google News]] |access-date=3 February 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124184914/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g9LGRWxYwbBezg_HsTfLcgfUsDgg |archive-date=24 January 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news.ma/article/81424 |title=World Pie Eating contest at Wigan pub |publisher=Morningadvertiser.co.uk |date=2008-12-03 |access-date=2015-10-14}}</ref>

===2009===
Barry Rigby, a warehouseman won, eating a pie in forty five seconds.<ref name="guardian2009">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/dec/15/wigan-world-pie-eating-contest |title=World pie-eating contest leaves competitors choking |publisher=Guardian News and Media |date=15 December 2009 |access-date=16 December 2009|last=Wainwright|first=Martin|location=London|work=guardian.co.uk}}</ref>

===2010===
Neil Collier, aged 42, won this contest, with a new World Record of 23.91 seconds.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wainwright|first1=Martin|title=World pie-eating competition sets new record|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/dec/15/world-pie-eating-competition-record|access-date=7 January 2015|work=theguardian.com|publisher=Guardian News and Media|date=15 December 2010}}</ref>

===2012===
Martin Clare won, with a new record time of 22.53 secs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wigantoday.net/news/local/barry-regains-pie-crown-1-7012238 |title=Barry regains pie crown |publisher=Wigan Today |date=2014-12-18 |access-date=2014-12-19}}</ref>

===2013===
Ian Coulton of Wigan took the title, albeit with the slowest winning time ever of 1 minute and 6.61 seconds.

===2014===
Former champion Barry Rigby once again recorded the best time.<ref name="bbc2014">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-30538447 |title=World Pie Eating Championships: Humble pie for Wigan chef after pie mix-up |date=2014-12-18 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=2014-12-19}}</ref>

===2015===

2012 champ Martin Appleton Clare regains his title after missing 2013 and the "wrong size pie" incident of 2014.

===2016===
The reigning champion, Martin Appleton-Clare registered a record breaking third win to take the ''2016 Championship''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/wigan-pie-eating-championships-2016-12349256 |title=Watch: World pie-eating champion's 'Usain Bolt' moment at Wigan competition |date=2016-12-20 |publisher=Manchester Evening News |author=Emily Heward |access-date=2016-12-20}}</ref>

===2017===

It is the third time in a row for Martin Appleton-Clare.

===2018===

Martin Appleton-Clare won the new category of "Chicken and Carrot" with a time of 19.6 secs after a fierce Pie Off

===2019===
Ian Gerrard won the contest with a time of 34.5 seconds.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wigantoday.net/news/people/chaotic-scenes-on-the-eve-of-wigans-world-pie-eating-championships-3997825|title=Chaotic scenes on the eve of Wigan's World Pie-Eating Championships|date=23 January 2023 }}</ref>

=== 2022 ===
Barry Rigby, 49, guzzled down the regulation meat and potato pie in a relatively average time of 35.4 seconds, taking the pie crown for the third time. The championship was delayed slightly and took place in January 2023 as opposed to its usual December date. The Wigan man previously won the championships in 2009 and 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Campbell |first=Jenna |date=2023-01-25 |title=Wigan man crowned world pie eating champion after devouring snack in record time |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/wigan-man-crowned-world-pie-26069951 |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=Manchester Evening News |language=en}}</ref>

=== 2023 ===
Ian Coulton faced off all competition and ensured the trophy remained in Wigan, winning the competition for the first time since his previous victory ten years earlier, in 2013. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wigantoday.net/news/people/wigan-man-becomes-lord-of-the-pies-at-this-years-world-championships-4446148|title=Wigan man becomes lord of the pies at this year's World Championships|date=14 December 2023 }}</ref>

=== 2024 ===
At this year's contest - which was held on December 12 2024 with 22 contestants - Michael Chant, 43, from nearby [[Bury, Greater Manchester|Bury]], broke the world record for eating a pie the fastest, completing it in 17 seconds - beating the previous record holder Martin Appleton-Clare, who ate his pie in 23 seconds. [[Channel 5 (British TV channel)|Channel 5]] filmed the event for their TV show [[22 Kids and Counting]], as the show's star Noel Radford supplied the pies for the competition. The championship's organiser and "piemaster", Tony Callaghan, dropped and partly broke the trophy. [[Hits Radio]] interviewed Callaghan afterwards. Several newspapers were also present.<ref>{{cite web |title=Man breaks world record by eating meat and potato pie in 17 seconds |url=https://metro.co.uk/2024/12/12/man-breaks-world-record-eating-meat-potato-pie-17-seconds-22176427/ |website=Metro Newspaper}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Wigan World Pie-Eating Championships: veterans' shock disqualification as champ is declared |url=https://www.wigantoday.net/news/people/wigan-world-pie-eating-championships-veterans-shock-disqualification-as-champ-is-declared-4907383 |website=Wigan Today Newspaper}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Whitefield builder wins World Pie Eating Championships |url=https://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/24791032.whitefield-builder-wins-world-pie-eating-championships/ |website=Bury Times Newspaper}}</ref>

==Controversy==

===Imported pies===
In December 2005, controversy was caused, when pies were imported from nearby [[Farnworth]], [[Bolton]], and local Wigan pies were sidelined as it was believed they were substandard, resulting in a four-man strong protest.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Paul |title=I ate all the pies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2005/dec/16/foodanddrink.paullewis |access-date=2023-08-08 |newspaper=The Washington Post|date=16 December 2005 }}</ref> In December 2009, a similar situation arose, with pies being sourced from [[Adlington, Lancashire|Adlington]].<ref name="guardian2009"/>

===Quantity to speed===
In November 2006, more controversy was caused, when the competition was changed (to meet government ''healthy eating'' guidelines) from the number of pies consumed in a given time, to the fastest time to consume a single pie.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/6175726.stm|title=Health drive hitting pie eaters|date=23 November 2006|work=BBC News}}</ref>

===Lack of stock===
In December 2007, controversy struck again for the third year running, when the competition actually ran out of pies before the competition had finished.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}}

===Wrongly sized pies===
In December 2014, pies of the wrong size were delivered to the event, while the intended pies were sent to a nearby divorce party. The contestants competed with halved pies, but the results were nullified.<ref name="bbc2014"/> The head of the ''World Pie Eating Championship'' went to court on the television show ''[[Judge Rinder]]'' because of this, against the pie maker of the wrongly sized pies, but was awarded nothing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/judge-rinders-latest-case-sees-7598373|title=Judge Rinder's latest case sees him rule on a disputed PIE-EATING competition|last=Armstrong|first=Jeremy|website=mirror|date=20 March 2016|access-date=2016-04-11}}</ref>

==Background==
Wiganers are proud to be called pie eaters, but the nickname is not thought to be because of their appetite for the delicacy. The name is said to date from the 1926 [[1926 United Kingdom general strike|General Strike]], when Wigan miners were starved back to work, before their counterparts in surrounding towns and were forced to eat "[[humble pie]]".<ref name=men /> {{Disputed|date=January 2024}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{British pies}}
{{Competitive eating}}
{{Pies}}

[[Category:Competitive eating]]
[[Category:Pies]]
[[Category:Wigan]]
[[Category:Events in Greater Manchester]]