WHEN it comes to putting food away, Randy Santel takes some beating.

The professional eater has successfully chomped his way through a jaw-dropping 406 food challenges – and counting.

MORE TOP STORIES:

One of his latest was a teetering pile of food weighing almost 6lb, which was served up at Smokies Southern BBQ in Duckworth Street, Darwen.

But American Randy, 29, from St Louis, Missouri, was unfazed and downed the lot in just 25 minutes – less than half the time allowed.

It was not a challenge for the faint-hearted – or those with a weak stomach – and included beef brisket, pulled pork, a full rack of ribs, half a chicken, sausage, a burger (although only a regular burger) a pile of fries, coleslaw, macaroni cheese and beans, all to be consumed within one hour.

Karen Bradley, joint owner of Smokies, said: “So far, we’ve had between 16 and 18 people try our challenge tray, but nobody has succeeded.

“Until Randy came along, all we had was a hall of shame rather than a hall of fame.”

Randy, who is 21 days into a 70-day tour of the UK, has already gained between 10 and 15lbs on his usual weight of 260lb.

He said: “By the end of this tour, I expect to be about 325lb. But I used to play American football – I was about 340lb – so I’m used to that kind of weight; I’m never worried about it.”

While Randy easily saw off the Darwen challenge, he admitted that one serving proved too much even for him.

He said: “I failed one in Birmingham but the time limit was ridiculous, and after I couldn’t make it, they agreed to allow more time, so I’m going back to try again.”

Despite criticism from some quarters, he described himself as a clean eater.

He said: “I’m not gross to watch. And in between challenges, I eat clean as well – fruit and veg. Weight gain sucks.”

Randy began his eating journey after winning a body transformation competition in 2010 and intends to continue until he has won challenges in every US state and 25 countries.

He eventually plans to return to university to qualify as a dietician.