SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -- The first National Sandwich Eating Championship took place at CSP's Foodservice at Retail Expo (FARE) at the Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center in Schaumburg, Ill., on Tuesday. The event, sponsored by Wakefield Sandwich Co., unfolded before a standing-room-only crowd.
Professional eaters were presented with the entire Wakefield menu of 22 sandwiches. Eaters first sat at the breakfast table, then progressed to lunch and finally, the dinner sandwiches.The prize: $500.
Bob "Killer" Kuhns, who hails from Freeport, Pa., ate 17 sandwiches before the 20-minute [image-nocss] time limit expired. "I'm like a plow horse at the dinner table," said Kuhns. Directly following the competition, Kuhns was spotted at the Wakefield booth consuming even more chicken salad sandwiches. "These are just really good sandwiches," he said.
Placing second in the contest was the world record holder for chili eating, Ian "The Invader" Hickman, from Herndon, Va., who sported a Viking helmet and a fuzzy "warrior" arm cuff. Finishing third was "Gentleman" Joe Menchetti, who, with his sizable lead for most of the contest, was the favored winner. Coming in fourth place was Elizabeth "Rubber Gut" Canady, who had reportedly eaten four plates of food for breakfast. She was later seen roaming from booth to booth, sampling the treats exhibitors had on display.
Experienced belly-stuffers, each contest showed a different gorging technique, added a report by The Pioneer Press. Menchetti turned his sandwich in circles, chomping the edges in huge mouthfuls while Hickman took smaller bites between constant sips of water. Canady started slow, but had a reputation for sneakily gaining speed toward the end, and Kuhns filled his meaty cheeks and just kept going.
"They call me the pitbull!" yelled Kuhns in victory, slapping his crumb-covered, canine-like jowls.Arnie "Chowhound" Chapman emceed the event. It was organized by the Association of Independent Competitive Eaters.Springfield, Ohio-based Wakefield Sandwich, a unit of Eby-Brown, provides a complete foodservice solution to convenience stores, including fresh sandwiches. A privately held company, Naperville, Ill.-based Eby-Brown is one of the largest distributors in the United States, providing consumer goods and other products to retailers in the convenience channel of trade.Click the Download Now button below to see pictures of the event.
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