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THE POPPADOM SPEED EATING CHALLENGE Everyone assumes it is easy to eat a poppadom quickly and yet it would surprise many to know thatthe record for the number eaten in 1 minute is 3 set by Perry Hughes and his friend in 2009 and the record for number eaten in 5 minutes is 15 set by Tim Stobbs in 2006 who was immediately sick afterwards. We are now challenging restaurants and clubs or private groups to challenge the records to raise money for charity and have some fun. The poppadoms must be regulation restaurant size and must be consumed entirely with missing any broken pieces. Each completed poppadom counts. To record a score you must have a photo (or video) record and an independent timer and judge to comfirm the result with name and email contact. All efforts will be recorded by National Curry Week (info@nationalcurryweek.co.uk) and the idea is that at least 50% of the cost of each poppadom goes to The Curry Tree for charity(details on the Contacts page). There will be a national record but why not have your own club or restaurant record or even city, town or region? Have fun. THE WORLD POPPADOM TOWER CHALLENGE Can you beat the present world records? RULES : Static Tower : The Tower must be on a plate or similar no bigger than 10" in diameter and be completely unsupported when completed for at least 10 seconds. The poppadoms must be cooked. Movable Tower : The completed Tower must be moved, unsupported to another surface (table or other) at least 4 feet away and remain standing unsupported for 10 seconds. Attempts must be overseen by two independent judges (i.e. not involved in the attempt or restaurant staff) who must confirm the number achieved and photographic evidence must be supplied of the attempt and result. The judges only need to confirm that the number of poppadums in the tower is as claimed - that it has stood free-standing for at least 10 secs (i.e. no suport either hand or artificial) and that no other elements are in the tower (glue, spike, string etc). Guinness World Records : A record, officially recognised by Guinness, at 1.48m (4 ft 10 in) set by Nahim Aslam and Fayaz Aslam, at the Indian Ocean Restaurant, Ashton-Under-Lyne, Lancashire on 9 October 2007 and the new version from owner Arfan Razak of Curry Lounge, Nottingham (also known as Raz) and his team of chefs of a poppadom tower that measured 1.51m (4ft 11.4ins) These are not recognised by National Curry Week as they were not under the above strict rules and recorded tower height not number of poppadoms and allows for poppadoms to be stacked on top of each other but does not specify a tower so some attempts have firmed up the base by using a pyramid shape which is againbst our rules. For 2011 onwards it has been agreed with GWR to supply them with any new National Curry Week World Poppadom Tower Record details. 2012 STOP PRESS - It looks as though it's a new record in National Curry Week by Tipu Rahman, from Tamarind in Northampton - an amazinmg 1280 poppadoms measuring 5' 8" subject to ratification on 11 October. Judges included Northampton local Councillor Danielle Stone, Northampton Chronicle and Echo Editor Daniel Owens, Mitsubishi Sales Manager James Booth and Managing Director of B & H Building and Contractors Ltd Bobby Singh, who was the technical witness to the attempt. 2011 The Home, Hipperholme Staff at The Home Indian Restaurant in Denholme Gate Road, Hipperholme, tried to beat the existing world record for a freestanding tower of the Indian savouries, which is 4ft 10in tall – made up of a whopping 1,075 poppadoms. Two independent judges watched with tape measures at the ready for the event, part of National Curry Week. But it was not to be. Owner Saj Hussain watched nervously as the poppadoms – made from flour, oil and spices– were piled on top of each other by Shakeel Hussain and head chef Sajid Ayub. But despite their best efforts, they came tumbling down. They had spent hours the night before practising and had built it to 5ft 3in. That time they had used a flat plate as their base but for their record attempt made the mistake of using a domed one.The team spent more than 15 hours creating 1.500 poppadoms for the challenge. The team weren’t disheartened and said they wanted to go on and try another record. They think they have one of the speediest chappati makers in the world, and are planning on putting him to the test to claim another record. The poppadom challenge was raising money for The Curry Tree project and Saj and the team are still accepting donations for the charity to alleviate malnutrition in the world. 2011 RECORD - Indian Ocean, Ashton Under Lyne The official witnesses were Cllr Bill Harrison for Tameside Council and Jon Howarth, Managing Director of local business, City Accident Response in Ashton-under-Lyne. The tower containing 1075 poppadoms was built in March by members of the Indian Ocean kitchen staff, namely executive chef Sheikh Kamran and chefs Jobed Miah and Abdul Islam. This has been put forward as a Guinness World Record. 2010 No new record was set 2009 RECORD - Poppadom Express, Southampton (Current World Record holder) Aazaz Khan and his Poppadom Express in Southampton broke his own 2007 record and the 2008 record with a whopping 450 in a friendly challenge covered by the Daily Echo. 2008 RECORD - Kasi Shanmugas - Ex Chef Khagaraj Kandel - Jali Head Chef Kuldeep Panchal - Jali 2nd Chef Sanjeev Nanda - Chef de Partie Surendra Achariya - Restaurant Supervisor The team at the Jali Restaurant at the Carlton Best Western Hotel, Blackpool smashed the Static World Record with 282 and Moveable World Record with 230 The team hold their breath as the Tower stands "static" for the requisite 10 seconds Councillor Mary Smith, Mayor of Blackpool and Julia Massey signed written statements confirming the new records and adherence to the rules 2007 RECORD Poppadom Express in Southampton under Aazaz Khan smashed the existing World Record with 230 under the scrutiny of local newspaper The Daily Echo. NO NEW RECORD IN 2006 2005 RECORD The static Poppadom Tower world record was smashed at Spice Lounge in Milton Keynes on Friday 21 October 2005 when customers Bali Kaur, Debbie Holmes, Suzanne Wiles, Sharon Moutton helped owner Anfor Farooque to a new record of 160 with £258 raised. 2004 RECORD Matt Robinson at Twickenham Tandoori was the Poppadum King in 2004 and the first holder of the World Poppadom Tower record with a massive 152 crispy nibbles to claim the current static and moveable record. Could it be beaten in 2005? Copyright 2013 - Federation of Specialist Restaurants