We are well into 2023 and with Easter just around the corner, we're getting ready to loosen our belt buckles and indulge in an Easter egg or two (or three), cakes thematically designed for the occasion and a whopping roast with our families. And if you're someone with a hearty appetite, who doesn't believe gargantuan plates of food should be consumed at limited times of the year - Christmas, for example - then you should try and tackle one of Wales' many food challenges.
Be that sweet or savoury, these challenges entice the most determined of diners, whose task is to scoff a meal made up of multiple steaks, chicken breasts, burgers - for example - in an allotted time, in the hope of being crowned the establishment's food champion. Be warned, these aren't for the picky eaters or faint hearted. These challenges are for those whose mentality is 'Man [or woman, of course] V Food'.
And Wales has plenty of these massive meals to test your stamina - and it's not just big burgers we're dealing with.
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From big breakfasts in whole loaves of bread stuffed with all sorts of fillings to meaty marvels and a whopper of a dessert there's a challenge waiting for all tastes – even if most of us would end up taking half of it home with us for the next day or week.
Here, we've rounded up just a few of the mouth-watering and jaw-dropping food challenges you can attempt in Wales.
The Monster Sandwich Challenge at Meg's Grill and Chill
Are you a fan of a breakfast bap - be that bacon, egg or sausage bap? Or all three? This absolute whopper of a sarnie comes in at 28 inches and is 4,000 calories worth of tiger bread, sausages, bacon, black pudding, mushrooms, hash browns, eggs, and "best of all", according to Megan herself - baked beans.
The challenge - if the roll wasn't enough - is to eat it all, every last bite, in 45 minutes. If so, the sandwich, which costs £23, is on the house.
Where: Wickes Car Park, Cowbridge Road, Bridgend
The Burger Boyz' Norris Challenge
If you want to stand amongst 'professional' eaters such as Randy Santel and Joel Hansen, then the Burger Boyz - in Port Talbot - needs to be on your list. With multiple challenges at large, Burger Boyz have attracted some of the biggest names in the food challenge industry with the 'Chuck Norris' being tackled most recently.
In this ginormous meal, you must chow down on three double cheeseburgers, eight chicken wings, 500g of crispy chicken which lies scattered upon 1kg of chips and a pot of nacho cheese.
If that's a bit too far fetched, then try and tackle 'The Beast' which consists of a monster 8 patty (1kg beef) with 24 slices of cheese.
Where: 37 Commercial Road, Port Talbot
The Mountain Air's The Mount Mixed Grill Challenge
The record for this eating challenge has only just been broken - which just goes to show how mammoth it really it. In January 2023, YouTube Adam Moran - otherwise known as BearMeatsFood - travelled to Tredegar to try and finish this mighty meal within an hour. His prize? He got it for free.
Included in the £59.99 meal is: 16oz of steak, 16oz of gammon, two chicken breasts, four pork steaks, two lamb chops, four jumbo sausages, four fried eggs, garden peas, onion rings and chips.
That's not all. There is another challenge that is particularly aimed at meat-eaters - the 1000z rump steak challenge. Even the name gives us the meat sweats. It comes with onion rings, chips, garlic bread, mushrooms and peas and salad.
Where: Llwynhelyg, Tredegar
The Hope and Anchor's Welsh brekkie challenge
This meal is more than half the cost of the previous challenge but it is in no way easier. The Hope and Anchor - in Flintshire, also known as The Trap - offers a Welsh breakfast that consists of 10 sausages, 10 rashers of bacon, six slices of toast, four slices of fried bread, eight eggs, eight hash browns, eight slices of black pudding, four slices of white pudding, tomatoes and a bowl of baked beans. Feeling full just thinking about that? Us too.
If you manage it, the meal is yours for free. But if you don't quite make it, you'll have to cough up 20 quid. Adam also visited this establishment and, of course, flew through it in 23 minutes and 53 seconds. Read more on that here.
Where: The Hope and Anchor, Ewloe Place, Buckley
Coco Gelato's 'Roman Empire'
If you think a savoury challenge is hard, you should try and sweet one - such as dessert specialist Coco Gelato's very own The Roman Empire Sundae
Aiming to recreate the roman colossium but with all things desserts, think 3,000 plus callories of ice cream, waffles, fruit, chocolate bars, brownies, syrups... it has it all. This is what it involves specifically: 18 scoops of gelato served on top of four hot waffles. These are then topped with a mixture of fresh fruit and chocolate bars before being scattered with chunks of chocolate fudge brownie. You can then choose which other toppings and syrups you want. For £32.95, are you an emperor ready to conquer this challenge?
Where: 133b Woodville Road, Cathays, Cardiff
Who Dares Wings at the Man of Gwent
For only £9.29, this 'flaming challenge' seems too good to pass up on - but can you handle the heat? You get 25 wings, split into five flavours: Texan-style BBQ Sauce, Piri Piri Sauce, Sweet Chilli Sauce, Spicy Dry Rub and TABASCO® Scorpion Sauce and paired with a sour cream dip on the side.
Where: The Man of Gwent, Chepstow Road, Newport
Notty's Gutbuster brekkie
Notty's Cafe in Bridgend is a fan of challenges and there's more than one on the menu. Their breakfast challenge – Notty's Gutbuster – contains five slices of bacon, five sausages, three eggs, fried potatoes, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, four hash browns, four portions of black pudding, four slices of toast, and a regular tea or coffee.
It costs £12.50 and if you finish it within 25 minutes you get a place on the cafe's Wall of Fame. Last time we checked no-one had completed it - will you give it a go?
They also offer a four-burger challenge - the Badboy Burger - which sees the diner tackle four patties, bacon, cheese slices, four hash browns and egg and chips all rolled into one. Add three chicken burger patties into the mix and you have Notty's Beast Burger challenge.
Where: Notty's Cafe, Bridgend
This giant sarnie from Graham's Kitchen
The sandwich contains four BBQ chicken strips, two southern fried chicken fillets, four rashers of streaky bacon, cheese and BBQ sauce, all stuffed into a small tin loaf of brioche bread and is served with chips and coleslaw.
It's named the Big Birdie, to go with its golf club setting.
Where: Graham's Kitchen, Rhondda Golf Club
Rolling Rolls' Fat Boy Challenge
Rolling Rolls were previously the home of the mammoth breakfast challenge that saw a full Welsh crammed into an entire loaf of bread. More recently, it came up with a ginormous burger challenge.
Let's break it down. That's 24 ounces of beef (the burgers) totted up with cheese, four sausages, four large fried eggs and 12 onion rings all sandwiched in a massive tiger bread roll.
Where: Rolling Rolls in Glynstell Park, Cardiff
The Greedy B from Mike's Bites
Complete this brekkie challenge in 60 mins, with no swaps, sharing (with other eaters in the restaurant) or loo breaks and you'll bag yourself a t-shirt that says: "I completed the greedy b*****d challenge at mike's bites bangor". Your name will also be added to the wall of fame.
If you're up for the challenge, you must eat four hash browns, three sausages, three rashers of bacon, three black puddings, two fried eggs, scrambled eggs, two burgers, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes and fried bread and toast - with a large cuppa to wash it all down. All for £25.
Where: 18 Holyhead Road, Bangor
Smoke Haus' 'Legendary Mixed Grill'
With this challenge, the prize you get is the satisfaction of finishing it. And for £49.99, it's a challenge alright. What you'll get on your plate (or few plates) is brisket, Smoke Haus pulled pork, four chicken wings served with a 'Haus chilli dog', baby back ribs, a large portion of house skin-on fries and slaw.
If a mixed grill isn't your bag, try its 'Big Bertha' burger plate - four beef burgers with American cheese, smoked streaky bacon, jalapeños, sweet fried onions and burger sauce - or the 'Headbanger', which is made up of a platter of three hot dogs: the currywurst, the homewrecker and a chilli dog served with fries & slaw.
Where: Mary Ann Street, St Davids Centre, Cardiff/41 Wind Street, Swansea
This beasty burger from Harvey's New York Bar and Grill
The 4x4 burger at Harvey's consists of four burgers from the regular menu - the Main Street, BBQ Burger, American and the Original.
These involve an 8oz burger with bacon and cheese topped with fried mushrooms and onions; a BBQ Burger topped with Colby cheese, onion rings, crispy bacon and Harvey’s BBQ sauce; a bacon and cheese burger; and an original – all piled high for £24.95. Would you dare?
Where: Harvey's, Llandudno, Rhuddlan and Bangor
The 'Titan Breakfast Challenge' from Ramons
The name says it all, really. Complete with 8,000 calories, which is roughly your daily allowance (give or take) for four days, Ramons are kind enough to throw in a mug of tea and some orange juice (a pint) too to help wash it all down. Finish it in one hour and you'll also get your picture on their wall of fame and your money back!
You get eight sausages, eight bacon rashers, eight eggs - srambled or fried - six hash browns, one pound of fried potatoes and fried mushroom, six black puddings, beans, tomatoes, a four-egg and cheese omelette, four slices of toast, four slices of buttered bread and three vanilla pancakes with maple syrup.
The only rules are this: no bathroom breaks and, under no circumstances, no sharing. Have a read of what happened when we attempted it here.
Where: 64 Salisbury Road, Cardiff
Richie's Length - from Richie's Snack Bar
Can you handle a sarnie as stuffed as this? Costing £20 - if you don't finish within your allotted 45 minutes - this two-foot long baguette contains five rashers of bacon, five sausages, five cheese burgers, 10 eggs, 10 black puddings and mushrooms. The challenge has been around for the last six years and has remained unbeaten for the last three.
There is also, as of early February, a £50 reward for the first person to complete the challenge in three quarters of an hour. Read all about it here.
Where: Richie's Snack Bar, Robertstown Industrial Estate, Wellington Street, Aberdare
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