Organisers of the World Pie Eating Championships have seen their plans for the 28th edition crumble before their eyes over "gobble-degook" covid restrictions - which don't make it clear whether contenders in the "elite sport" would need to wear a mask.
Tony Callaghan, piemaster and owner of Harry's Bar on Wallgate, Wigan, had to freeze his event plans for the second year running, after infection rates rose and saw rules on face coverings brought back by the government.
Although the pie-hole coverings don't need to be worn in hospitality settings, they are legally required in other places such as shops, cinemas, and indoor sports stadiums.
READ MORE:
A tongue-in-cheek statement from Mr Callaghan explained that the issue around masks had been a major sticking point for their plans, as the pub would technically become a venue for an indoor sports event whilst the competition took place.
He said: "Having to wear a mask during the competition itself, but not before or after, has proven to be a fundamental hurdle.
"No mask is required in a hospitality setting, but masks are legally required in an indoor sports stadium.
"Any other elite sport would find a way of getting round pandemic restrictions, but we've been gagged.
"Pandemic rules mean that competitors can have a pint and a bag of pork scratchings pre-event, but as soon as they enter the competition arena up back't bar area they have to wear a mask.
"Government guidelines are gobble-degook. There is an argument that the actual competitors in indoor sports don't have to wear masks, but Government guidelines make no reference to that.
"And if people like Lewis Hamilton have to wear a face covering during competition, then that's all the guidance we needed."
When speaking to the Manchester Evening News , Mr Callaghan confirmed the event would not be able to take place as planned, but explained his biggest concern was about social distancing due to the popularity of the event.
He also confirmed that the pub had explored the idea of hosting the event out on the pavement, but decided it wasn't feasible or appropriate.
Mr Callaghan told the M.E.N : "It's an elite sport and me trying to keep contestants socially distanced would have been an impossible task.
"I couldn't put my name to it and try and hold it as we are.
"Interest has been astronomical, there are more people in training and it would've been a nightmare."
The bar is now considering moving the contest away from its traditional mid-December date, but no decision has been made yet.
This is the second year running that the bar has had to cancel the popular contest, although last year's guidance was more cut and dry.
Organisers tried to come up with a way to hold the event whilst adhering to the covid guidance, but no matter how many options they tried, they all seemed a little half-baked.
Mr Callaghan's statement joked: "We looked at staging the event outside on the pavement, but there'd be 30-odd lads and lasses and their coaches - in some cases 38-seaters - and some of these lads are big units, meaning they could easily be mistaken for traffic islands if caught in the wrong light through a rainy windscreen.
"The technical members of the organising committee experimented with things like pureed pie, angled straws and funnels, as well as those things plumbers use to seal the gap between bath and wall tiles, to allow pie consumption while still wearing a mask.
"There wasn't an elegant solution resulting in less than half-an-hour to consume a pie when we'd be expecting around 30 seconds in a sporting environment. This event has always been a sprint not a marathon.
"As for staging a virtual event on Zoom this would have proved impractical because we don't have enough plug holes or internet capacity in the pub for dozens of competitors to bring their computers in."
