A Devon restaurant has stood firm on its rules, refusing to award a £250 prize to a man who came agonisingly close to finishing a colossal 10,000-calorie food challenge, all because he failed to consume a final spoonful of gravy.
The 'Impossible' Challenge That Proved Too Much
Nick Marden, a 43-year-old from Bristol, travelled to Cattleman's Steakhouse in Paignton, Devon, on December 11 to take on their infamous "Impossible Bangers and Mash" challenge. The task was to consume a staggering 15lb platter of food within one hour. The mammoth meal consisted of 40 pork sausages, a 5.5lb mountain of buttery mashed potato, and two litres of onion gravy, totalling approximately 9,865 calories.
Nick, who runs a YouTube channel called Wayward Feaster, made a valiant effort. Photographs from the steakhouse show him initially facing the loaded silver platter, and later, a plate with just a small amount of gravy remaining. However, after 48 minutes, and with less than 12 minutes on the clock, Nick began to feel unwell and was sick.
Strict Rules Lead to Controversial Decision
Owner Gary King, who founded the steakhouse nine years ago, enforced the challenge's strict rules. "The challenge is to eat everything," Gary stated. "He was sick and the rules are that if you're sick, the challenge is finished, it's done. He failed with a spoonful left." Despite feeling sympathy for Nick and being convinced he would succeed, Gary maintained that the challenge was not officially completed.
The decision sparked a fierce debate on social media after the restaurant shared the story. The post garnered over 670 comments, with many users declaring Nick the moral victor. One commenter argued, "The fact he didn’t win that on one spoon of gravy is ridiculous," while another wrote, "As if you classed a spoonful of gravy as a fail." Others questioned why he couldn't have finished the gravy in the time remaining.
Redemption on the Menu for Defeated Challenger
Despite the official failure, Gary King showed goodwill by giving Nick £150 to cover his travel costs from Bristol, emphasising he was a "nice bloke" who shouldn't be out of pocket. For his part, Nick accepted the outcome graciously. "The rules are the rules and I didn't complete it so as far as I was concerned I was owed nothing," he said, though he admitted to being "devastated" and fighting back tears.
Nick's attempt is notable as he came closer than any British contestant before him. Gary revealed the challenge has been attempted around 30 times, resulting in 29 failures. The only successful completion was by a professional eater from Canada known as Scott Eats, who finished the meal in just 23 minutes and four seconds.
Undeterred, Nick is already planning his return. "100% I'll be going back to complete the challenge again," he declared. "You can't fail by that fine a margin and then lay and lie, think of the redemption arc. I got closer than anyone has got in this country, just a little bit more training and I'll be back."
