We’ve all seen Man vs. Food. Most of us have probably felt slightly ill as Adam Richman has tackled mountains of food to win a free t-shirt or his name on the Wall of Fame in venues across America. But for those who haven’t, and who think that they can conquer a ridiculously sized or a ridiculously spicy plate of food, there are plenty of places in and around Bristol that have thrown down the gauntlet.
Food challenges tend to fall into two categories: those where quantity is the challenge, and those where spice is the force to contend with. In Bristol, we have both, as you’ll see from the list below (which we’ll keep updated as we hear of any new challenges out there…)
1. The Ashville – Steak Challenge
Love your steak? Then this challenge at The Ashville in BS3 is for you…
Entry fee: Nothing…unless you fail
Time limit: 1 hour
Instructions: Chow down on a mammoth 72oz steak with five sides (choose from a selection of ten)
Prize: Your meal free of charge (£110 if you can’t do it!)
2. Atomic Burger – The Fallout Challenge
This challenge involves both heat AND quantity – you’ll have to sign a legally binding waiver before you try it…
Entry fee: £25
Time limit: 45 minutes
Instructions: Finish a triple burger with triple cheese and triple onion rings, which also includes a triple serving of Atomic’s special XXX Fallout Sauce – over 2 million Scoville on the chilli heat rating scale. Oh, and a triple portion of chilli fries too…
Prize: Your name on the wall of fame, and a winners’ or losers’ t-shirt, depending on how you fare.
3. The Hobgoblin – The Kraken
5lb 10oz of food. Come hungry.
Entry fee: £25 (free if completed)
Time limit: 45 minutes
Instructions: Take down a Triple Bypass Burger (3 7oz burgers, 6 rashers of bacon, 2 hash browns, 2 huge pickles and salad), a huge heap of Dirty, Dirty Fries, 12 super hot wings, coleslaw, pickles and sauces to be victorious.
Prize: A free t-shirt, a free pint and your name on the wall of fame. If you are defeated by the Kraken, your name goes on the wall of SHAME…
4. Mission Burrito – El Triple
Is your stomach up to finishing a triple burrito?
Entry fee: £15
Time limit: No time limit
Instructions: Finish a 3lb burrito that features triple the number of tortillas, meat, rice, beans and other fillings.
Prize: A free t-shirt and your name on the wall of fame.
5. Grillstock – The Grand Champion
In their words: “The ultimate low ‘n’ slow BBQ meat feast”…they’ve now updated this challenge as it was too small before, so good luck!
Entry fee: £40
Time limit: One hour
Instructions: One for carnivores. Demolish a plate of chicken, brisket, pulled pork and ribs, along with hot dog, fries, slaw, pickles, cornbread, BBQ beans, brisket chilli and burnt ends.
Prize: A free t-shirt and a bottle of Grillstock’s BBQ sauce.
6. Air Balloon – multiple challenges…
Visit the Flaming Challenge website to find details of the three food challenges that the Filton pub offers…
Entry fee: From £9.99 to £19.99, depending on which challenge is chosen
Time limit: One sitting
Instructions: Choose from a 1kg burger, a 32oz steak or a trash can lid filled with a rack of ribs, double cheese and bacon burger, beef chilli sundae, chicken skewer, onion rings, corn on the cob, smokey BBQ baked beans, peas and a triple portion of chips…
Prize: Your name on the online wall of fame, where entries are ranked from fastest to slowest.
7. Harry’s Diner at Fowlers – Breakfast Challenge
This cafe at the Bath Road motorcycle showroom has become renowned for its Sunday breakfast challenges…
Entry fee: £15
Time limit: One hour
Instructions: The challenge is available every Sunday – be sure to pre-book, as it’s pretty popular. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to wolf down 6 sausages, 6 eggs, 6 rashers of bacon, 6 hash browns, 4 slices of bread and butter, 4 slices of toast and butter, 4 slices of fried bread, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms and chips. Oh, and a cup of tea…
Prize: Your breakfast free of charge.
8. The Knife And Fork Cafe, Bedminster – Breakfast Challenge
Head south of the river to Bedminster Road, where you’ll be faced with another enormous breakfast challenge…
Entry fee: £12 (unless you finish it)
Time limit: 30 minutes
Instructions: Chow down on 6 rashers of bacon, 6 sausages, 6 eggs, 4 hash browns, 4 slices of black pudding, 4 slices of bread and butter, fried potatoes, mushrooms, beans, tomatoes, 6 slices of toast and 6 slices of fried bread. Complete in the allotted time, if you can!
Prize: Your breakfast free of charge.
9. Bristol Marriott City Centre Hotel – Double Dare You Burger
A great city centre burger challenge, with a free pint in it for winners…
Entry fee: £16.50
Time limit: n/a
Instructions: The Marriott City Centre Hotel double dares you to take down this burger, which features two prime burgers, bacon, cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions and lettuce finished off with seven onion rings and a basket of chips.
Prize: A free pint to wash the burger down with.
10. The Green Man, Alfred Place – Burger Challenge
Do you have the gluttony required to beat their challenge…?
Entry fee: £25
Time limit: 30 minutes
Instructions: Defeat a massive burger and sides in the time limit to win – there are challenges for both meat eaters and vegetarians alike…
Prize: The shirt off the chef’s back – and your name on the Feederboard.
Not in central Bristol? Try these challenges (still within the BS postcode areas) instead…
11. The Swan, Rowberrow – Chilli Challenge
The challenges at The Swan change regularly (the challenge was previously a super-sized burger), so keep checking their website for updates…
Entry fee: £6.50
Time limit: No limit
Instructions: Your challenge is to eat your way through a whole bowl of chilli – no super-sized portions, just “the hottest chilli con carne you will ever try”. If you need milk to take away the heat afterwards, you’ll be asked to make a £3 donation to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance
Prize: A chilli challenge t-shirt, and your name on the leaderboard (3.5 minutes was the time to beat at the time of writing…)
12. The Golden Lion, Worle – Hollywood Burger Challenge
A 2lb burger with fries and a tower of onion rings. Good luck…
Entry fee: £18.95
Time limit: No limit
Instructions: Demolish a 2lb burger with 6 rashers of bacon, cheese, tomato, lettuce and onions. You’ll also have to chomp your way through a sea of chips and a huge tower of onion rings… Be sure to pre-book, as the buns are made specially for the challenge.
Prize: A Hollywood challenge t-shirt, and your picture on the wall of fame.
13. The Corner Cafe, Portishead – The Monster Mega Challenge
A SERIOUS breakfast…
Entry fee: £15
Time limit: One hour
Instructions: Work your way through a breakfast that weighs in at over 8,000 calories: 6 rashers of bacon, 6 sausages, 6 eggs, 2x 3-egg omelettes, 4 portions of fried potatoes, 4 portions of mushrooms, 6 slices of black pudding, 6 hash browns, 1 bowl of chips, 4 onion rings, 4 slices of toast, 2 slices of fried bread, 2 slices of bread and butter, 1/2 grilled tomato, 2 portions of beans, 2 portions of tomatoes…and either a pint of milkshake (you choose the flavour) or a can of Monster!
Prize: Your name and picture on their wall of fame, a free mega breakfast voucher, a mini trophy and a keyring.
14. Mrs G’s, Hatters Lane, Chipping Sodbury – The Breakfast Challenge
It seems that breakfast challenges are currently popular…
Entry fee: £15
Time limit: 30 minutes
Instructions: Entrants have just half an hour to take down this mountain of sausages, beans, hash browns, mushrooms, fried bread, fried eggs, bacon and tomatoes. And if that’s not enough, you’ll also find three rounds of bread and butter on the side to mop up the sauce from the beans…
Prize: Your money back and your photo on their wall of fame.
15. Winstons Fish Bar, Weston-super-Mare – The Moby Dick
Can you tackle a monster fish and chip meal…?
Entry fee: £14.50
Time limit: Not stated
Instructions: A giant portion of fish, served with chips, mushy peas and a salad garnish.
Prize: A certificate…and a free dessert.
Know of any more? Let us know!
Mrs G’s is running a challenge breakfast in Chipping Sodbury. So far 24 have tried. 1 succeeded. It consists of three of their standard breakfasts if you consume in 30 mins you get your money back (£15) and photo on the wall of fame. Check it out on Mrs G’s on Facebook
Thanks – now adding this one in! 🙂
The kraken has a speed challenge try to eat dirty fries in less than 10 minutes prize:glory!!!! There is a large fish challenge in Weston on jonvsfood on you tube prize certificate and desert!
The mandwich challenge from the gourmet sandwich club
Check it…
https://m.facebook.com/thegourmetsandwichclub?refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fthegourmetsandwichclub
The Lodekka, (It’s a Hungry Horse Pub) on the Bath Road in Brislington has a Steak Challenge. They do a 40oz steak for £19.99 I believe. There is no time limit but it’s still a lot of steak. It usually comes with chips, peas and onion rings. If you are feeling adventurous you can even have an egg on top of the steak.
Just to say that the Corner Cafe challenge actually has a one hour time limit
Thanks Dan – now updated!
there is a challenge at the white heart at the top of park street, 50 wings
Thanks Joe!