One of the new features of this year’s Bluff Oyster & Food Festival in Bluff on Saturday 26 May is sure to bring new meaning to the phrase “hot competition.”
One of the most popular features of the Festival each year is the Oyster Eating races where people are invited onto the stage to partake in an Oyster eating competition where they must devour 12 of Bluff’s best in the fastest possible time armed just with a toothpick. The Oyster Eating races are still very much a part of the event but this year there is an addition – a separate event set to be called the Wasabi/Chilli Challenge!
The competition is modelled on the popular Oyster Eating races but these Bluff Oysters will be dipped into chilli oil along with wasabi making them somewhat more of a challenge.
The Wasabi/Chilli Challenge will be the final event of the afternoon on the Shed 3 stage where the oyster events traditionally take place. The action will kick off at 12 noon with another new event, the Novice Oyster Opening races. The Novice event is new this year and designed to give first time openers encouragement and confidence and the opportunity to compete on level terms with others of similar experience.
Old favourites, the Blindfold Race, Women’s and Men’s Open races follow. Of interest will be the appearance of Vic Pearsey of Bluff in the Ladies Open as she chases her eighth straight opening title.
The Factory Team Relay race will round off the Oyster Opening before the very popular Oyster Eating competitions begin where participants are chosen from the crowd to down one dozen of Bluff’s best in the fastest possible time.
The day is rounded out by the Wasabi/Chilli Challenge and who knows, just maybe the event will create a folk hero whose exploits will make them a feature of the Festival’s rich history.
The 2018 Festival takes place at the Bluff Oyster & Food Festival site, Lee Street, Bluff with gates due to open at 10.30am. Tickets for the event are sold out while tickets for the 2019 Festival due to be held on Saturday 25 May 2019 go on sale as this year’s event winds down at 6pm on 26 May 2018.