Humble pie after upsize disaster

22nd annual pie-eating championships had to be abandoned because of a size blunder. Photo / Thinkstock

The World Pie Eating Championships were declared null and void after a work experience youth sent the pies to a divorce party instead.

The divorce bash was delivered competition-sized pies and the world championships venue - a pub in Wigan, northwest England - received meat and potato pies of twice the regulation diameter.

The competition pies should be 12cm wide but those sent to Harry's Bar on Thursday were 24cm wide, meaning competitors had more on their plate than they bargained for.

"The work experience lad was tasked with providing 24 competition pies, but mixed up the order and sent them to a divorce party up the road," By the time we realised, it was too late," said the pub's owner, Tony Callaghan.

Former champion Barry Rigby, a 37-year-old fitness instructor from Wigan, set the best time of 42.6 seconds for eating half an oversized pie.

But the 22nd annual championships had to be abandoned because of the size blunder.

"It was a shame, because these lads practise long and often. You can see how seriously they take it, practising pie-eating late into the night on every street corner in Wigan town centre," said Callaghan.

-AAP