A care home worker was today crowned the world pie eating champion after scoffing a meat and potato-filled pastry in just over a minute.
First time entrant Tom O’Neil, 24, beat rivals in the annual event – held in Wigan, obviously – and said: “I’m over the moon.”
The Wigan-born world champ, now living in Blackpool, Lancs., romped to victory at Harry’s Bar in the town, where the elite sporting competition has been held for more than 30 years.
He told the local paper: “I’m happy now I’ve got the trophy in my hand. I didn’t do any preparations for the competition. I just turned up on the day and got it over the line.
“Around two years ago my local pub in Blackpool hosted a pie-eating competition and I won that. Someone told me about this so I thought I’d come and give it a go. I was supposed to come last year but I missed it.”
The cooked dimensions of the official regulation pie are a diameter of 12cm and a depth of 3.5cm, and a pie wall angle from base to top of between zero and 15 degrees.
Tom added: “The pie was a bit thick so it was hard to swallow but I got there in the end.”
His chuffed mum Michelle O’Neil said: “I’m really proud of him. No surprise with how quick he eats his meals at home so I’m glad he’s put it to good use. When we came in we were a bit overwhelmed with how busy it was. It is very serious stuff with pies in Wigan!”
There was increased security at Harry’s Bar in Wallgate for this year’s contest after a plan was apparently hatched to destabilise it.
Officials were tipped off that a competitor had planned to smuggle in a B&Q funnel under a baggy anorak to divert pie spillage down inside the front of his trousers.
Ahead of the event, piemaster and venue owner Tony Callaghan said: “We suspect the prospective dodgy competitor is a binman, because the tip-off came from a waste disposal operative who sneaks in to Harry’s Bar on Tuesdays under cover.
“We’ll be deploying security to check for secreted funnels, and anybody who looks like a baddy from Slow Horses will be denied entry.”
The competition has been held annually in Wigan – where locals are known as pie eaters – since 1992.
Some say the nickname comes from local miners “eating humble pie” after going back to work during the general strike of 1926.
The event was postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid regulations when the government refused to make the same allowances as it did for professional sport
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