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WHILE Ilminster continues to make preparations to host next month's British Barbecue Championships, one Chard pub is gearing up to staging its very own culinary competition.

The Phoenix Hotel in Fore Street will be holding a mouth-bulging hot dog eating contest on May 23 and now licensees Andy and Jenny Kenton are looking for teams of two to take part in the fun event.

It will cost each team £5 to enter and all proceeds on the night will be donated to a local charity or voluntary organisation of the winner's choice.

Each team will be given ten minutes to eat as many hot dogs as possible and they will be awarded points on how they do under the watchful eye of a designated scorekeeper.

Jenny said: "It should be a fun night and we hope to raise some money for charity, but we've come up with some strict rules for the contestants.

"Hot dogs still in the mouth at the end of the time will count only if they are then swallowed, but there will be deductions in their score for excess debris!"

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But Jenny added: "We've been kind however by allowing teams to give some extra taste to their hot dogs by adding condiments such as ketchup and mustard - but the contestants will have to provide that themselves!"

There will be various prizes for the winners and a raffle will be held on the night.

Teams must sign in by 7.30pm on the night of the contest on May 23 and it is only open to people aged over 18.

* Hot dog eating contests are popular across the world and here we see one contestant about to tuck into 50 of the popular fast food delights. Can anyone do better than that at the Phoenix Hotel in Chard on May 23?

4:08pm today

posted by Don "Moses" Lerman  # 12:59 PM