10:54am Wednesday 7th May 2008
By Emma Cruces
GRAVY wrestling will return to East Lancashire this summer with the Pennine Lancashire Food Festival.
This year's festival begins in August and continues into September when growers, producers, chefs, gourmets - and wrestling contenders - will descend on festival events held across the region.
The two-year-old festival is set to become more popular than ever this year, after being named as one of the top 16 tourist destinations after last year's success.
Events will take place across the six Pennine Lancashire districts of Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Rossendale and the Ribble Valley.
The second ever World Gravy Wrestling Championships this year takes place in Bacup, after last year's competition in Darwen became a world-famous event.
Sumo warriors, martial arts specialists and a chef were among competitors at the first international championships, when a wrestling ring was set up in Sainsbury's car park.
This year, new hopefuls will try to follow in the footsteps of the first ever world champions of gravy wrestling; Ian Marsden, Martin Skipper and the mysterious 'Super Roy the Darwen Destroyer' of the Tower Shukokai Karate Club, Darwen.
News of the wrestling event soon gained fame across the world, even gaining coverage in the Bangkok Times.
Shortly afterward, national tourism agencies Visit Britain and Enjoy England named the food festival as one of the UK's top 16 events for summer visitors in 2007.
Event organiser Jacqui Livesey said: "The event combines Lancashire's fantastic food and drink offer with a variety of cultural events, fabulous locations and favourite tourist attractions.
"Last year, the crowds laughed themselves silly at the slippery antics of the competitors in the Gravy Wrestling Championships.
"It really put East Lancashire on the map as worldwide audiences were told that 'the English sense of humour was just a a Brit different' and that Lancashire's food and drink was amazing.
"The event will welcome a vast arrray of growers, producers, chefs as well as culture-vultures and fun-lovers to support the best of the Lancashire food and drink industry."
The 2008 Pennine Lancashire Festival of Food and Culture will begin on August 18 and continue through to September 7.
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