Reigning World’s Strongest Man Tom Stoltman has come up against his biggest challenge yet after being pitted against the world’s hottest chilli while taking part in a sweat-inducing red hot eating challenge. The 6ft 8ins man mountain has won it all as a strong man but was faced with a new challenge altogether this week when he took on a dish containing the Carolina Reaper chilli – renowned as one of the world’s hottest chillies.
Appearing at Flaming Grill in Manchester, Tom and his brother Luke, Europe’s Strongest Man, took on the pub chain’s brand new Spicy Clucker dish, which is being billed as the spiciest platter ever served. The plus-size platter contains pulled tikka chicken thigh, Spicy Reapers Revenge Chipolata sausages, chicken skewers, fries, onion bhajis, rice and salad – all drenched in red hot Carolina Reaper sauce and served with an optional glass of milk.
The pair of strongmen, who weigh more than 50 stone between them, can be seen dabbing streams of sweat from their flush faces as they’re brought to their knees by the almost unbearable spice. After being forced to wave the white flag, Tom and Luke were pictured gulping down pint after pint of milk to soothe their red hot tastebuds.
Tom, 30, said: “I’ve faced some tough challenges in my time as a strongman, but there’s never been anything quite like that, wow! That’s without a doubt the spiciest thing I’ve ever eaten.
“The giant portion was great, and the flavour was delicious, but that was far too hot for me to handle, I had to concede on that one. I’ve never had a Carolina Reaper before but now I know what all the fuss is about, it’s no joke!”
Luke, 39, added: “I’ve battled through all sorts throughout my career, but that was something else entirely. The food tasted so good, but the heat was far too much to handle. For those who love the spicier things, this is a terrific challenge, delicious food at a reasonable price, I’d encourage people to try it!”
Flaming Grill has also launched a new mammoth sausage dish - ‘Who let the dogs out’ - featuring four German sausages, a giant pretzel, pork schnitzel and fries, alongside the Spicy Clucker, which is available in all pubs from Friday 13th September for a limited time only.
The launch of Spicy Clucker celebrates the nation’s love of spicy food, following research revealing seven in ten (70%) Brits are spicy food lovers. Young generations are leading the charge, the data shows, with 85% of under 25s saying they enjoy spicy food, compared to just 54% of over 65s.
More than two in five people (41%) say spice makes every dish better, while over one in five (22%) are happy to pour hot sauce on almost anything they eat. As a result, Brits are using hot sauce in a variety of unusual ways, with a third (32%) putting it on pasta, more than one in ten dousing their roast dinner with it – and a shocking 4% putting it on cereal.
The research further revealed Britain’s top 10 spice-living cities, with Londoners enjoying hot food more than people anywhere else, followed by Birmingham and Edinburgh.
Britain’s top 10 spice-loving cities
1. London (76%)
2. Birmingham (75%)
3. Edinburgh (75%)
4. Cardiff (74%)
5. Manchester (73%)
6. Portsmouth (71%)
7. Leeds (70%)
8. Sheffield (70%)
9. Cambridge (70%)
10. Bristol (69%)
*Based on the % of people in each city who like spicy food
At the other end of the spectrum, residents of York prefer a milder dish more than any other city, with just 50% of people there saying they enjoy eating a hot dish. Sophie Howells at Flaming Grill, said: “We truly are a nation of spicy food lovers, and when it comes to spice, there’s one chilli that stands alone – the Carolina Reaper.
“Our customers have been crying out for the return of our exciting food challenges and we’ve listened; we’re so excited to launch our new Spicy Clucker dish, which includes a selection of delicious foods from bhajis to chicken skewers covered in hot sauce designed to push even the most avid spice lovers to the limit."
The Spicy Clucker food challenge is available alongside the ‘Who let the dogs out’ dish for a limited time. To book your table at your local pub and try the new dishes for yourself, please visit: https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs-restaurants-hotels/flaming-grill
