All food lovers think that they have an enviable appetite, but very few people are actually blessed with the metabolism to consume copious amounts of food in one sitting. If you are one of these lucky folks, an Indian restaurant in England may just be the perfect place for you. The restaurant named Lily's Vegetarian Indian Cuisine is serving what it calls the "Grand Thali" and has spun a challenge around it. Served on a 24-inch platter with an assortment of 50 dishes weighing over 7kg (combined), it is the centre of Grand Thali challenge at the restaurant in Ashton, Greater Manchester. The idea is to finish the entire Thali within the time span of one hour.
We have to say that this challenge is not for the faint-hearted. From a photo shared on Facebook, we were able to spot delicacies such as eight varieties of rotis, three types of rice, sixteen curries and sabji, three dips, six desserts, two lassis, and two savoury snacks. The thali, which contains an assortment of Indian dishes, is priced at £35 (Rs 3,611).
(Also Read: 13 Grand Indian Thalis You Need to Try At Least Once In Your Life)
Three foodies went up against each other on August 4 to take on the challenge. The thali, however, proved too big a challenge for them to overcome. According to Mirror, 39-year-old Josh Sanders, a regular at the restaurant, was a favourite to win the challenge but had to accept defeat after eating three kilograms' worth of food. Similarly, Tom Eastham and Leigh Drennan, the two other contestants, too, failed to win the challenge.
After the challenge, Drennan shared his experience in a Facebook post. He said, “Thanks to everyone who sent encouragement and support today. We didn't quite manage today's Thali challenge at Lily's Vegetarian Indian Cuisine, but Andy Western and I beat the previous record and put in a good showing. Probably won't eat for a few days now. It was absolutely delicious. Absolutely no food went to waste by the way.”
(Also Read: Finishing This 4 Kg 'Bullet Thali' In Pune Could Get You Royal Enfield Bullet Bike!)
(Also Read: This 5-Ft Gujarati 'Cricket Thali' Featured Dishes Like Kohli Khaman, Dhoni Khichdi And More)
Speaking about how he came up with the idea of the challenge, Pritil Sachdev, the owner of the restaurant was quoted as saying, “I just came up with it one day when I was sitting in the restaurant. It's the first challenge we have done but we thought it would be a good bit of fun.”
In a post, the restaurant said that none of the dishes had gone to waste after the challenge. “All participants enter on their own accord and take home the food they haven't managed to finish in the given hour. They can share this with their friends and family, so please rest assured no food is being wasted,” they wrote.
Isn't the challenge cool? Tell us what you thought in the comments below.