The Lobster Challenge

Here's Toby Young writing in the Evening Standard

For the past year or so I've been meaning to get in touch with McDonald's to see if they'd be interested in funding a riposte to Super Size Me, Morgan Spurlock's attack on the fast-food corporation. If you recall, the 34-year-old documentary-maker ate nothing but McDonald's for a month and then recorded the effects on his health. Not surprisingly, he gained 25lbs, his cholesterol level shot up by 60 points and his liver turned to foie gras. My idea was to make a similar film, only I'd spend 30 days eating the most expensive food in the world rather than the cheapest. I can absolutely guarantee that by the end of this experiment I'd be every bit as unhealthy as Spurlock.
If I ever make this documentary, my first port of call will be the Big Easy Bar BQ Crabshack. Since opening its doors in 1991, this American surf 'n' turf restaurant on the King's Road has been renowned for its huge portions, but at the beginning of this month they went one better and introduced the Lobster Challenge. This is a plate of food that includes a 2lb steak, a 1lb portion of chips and a 4lb lobster, making it Britain's most calorific meal. If you can finish it in one sitting, your name goes up on a board in the basement.

John is due up from Wales for a visit soon, and I think the Lobster Challenge could well be on the agenda. I've seen him polish off an enormous steak in Florida in a not dissimilar challenge years ago. Raybs says he is up for it as well, but I have seen him off on donuts without breaking a sweat whenever he has been foolish enough to challenge me.

http://www.bigeasy.uk.com/ is the website of the establishment.

I think that it is a nice contrast that I am writing this in Virgin Active already having been to the gym this morning.