The UK is famous for hosting eccentric events, from cheese rolling to piña colada festivals. Adding to this list of bizarre traditions is an unusual annual event located just 30 minutes from Manchester city centre in Ramsbottom: the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships on Bridge Street.
The competition, which returns this weekend, sees participants use underhand throws to hurl black puddings at a 20-foot scaffold, attempting to knock down as many Yorkshire puddings as possible. This unique spectacle draws competitors and media coverage from around the globe, with past entrants traveling from countries as far-flung as Australia, the USA, Kenya, and Peru to take part in the madness.
World Black Pudding Throwing Championships: where and when does the contest take place?
The World Black Pudding Throwing Championship is held annually on the second Sunday of September along Bridge Street in Ramsbottom, Greater Manchester. Following the passing of lead organiser Phil Taylor last year, the contest continues to honour his legacy and will take place on Sunday, September 13th, from 11am to 5pm.
The event kicks off when a steam train delivers a painted marker known as the “golden grid” to Ramsbottom railway station. Escorted by bagpipers to the competition space outside The Oaks pub on Bridge Street, this block designates the exact line where participants take aim.
How did the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships begin?
Local lore traces the origins of the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships to a 1455 War of the Roses clash in Stubbins, Lancashire. Legend claims that rival troops from the House of Lancaster and the House of York exhausted their ammunition and resorted to throwing food at one another—Lancashire black puddings versus Yorkshire puddings—though historians doubt soldiers would lack weapons while possessing an abundance of food.
The tradition was reputedly revived by a local pub landlord in 1839 and officially restarted in 1984 by the Stubbins Village Community Trust. Originally held outside the Corner Pin pub in Stubbins, the competition moved to The Oaks in central Ramsbottom after the original pub closed, where it now draws thousands of spectators annually.
How to take part in the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships in Ramsbottom
Open to both novices and seasoned competitors, it’s free to watch and anyone can enter the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships for a nominal fee (previously £2), with all proceeds going to Bury Hospice and Ramsbottom Pantry. Participants are provided with three black puddings, each wrapped in tights to keep them from breaking apart during flight.
The rules are straightforward: standing at the oche, contestants get up to three throws to dislodge as many giant Yorkshire puddings as possible from a 20-foot scaffold. To keep the competition challenging, overarm throwing is strictly forbidden—only underhand hurling is allowed.
Live music, stalls, food and funfair
A music event known as Pudd Rocks will take place in the Memories Courtyard (to the rear of The Oaks pub) util 9pm. There will also be a market full of stalls, fun fairs, a special ‘Pudfest’ ale, black pudding pizzas, pipe band and more alongside the legendary contest.
Find out more about the competition here.
The World Black Pudding Championships 2025 will take place on Sunday 13th September from 11am until 5pm outside The Oaks, 39 Bridge Street, Ramsbottom, Bury, BL0 9AD.
