Animal rights organisation Peta reportedly wants the World Black Pudding Throwing Championship in Ramsbottom to replace traditional black puddings with vegan-only alternatives.
Peta has written to the organisers of the quirky annual contest, according to The Telegraph, arguing that animal products should no longer be used during the event, which sees competitors hurl black puddings at Yorkshire puddings perched on a high platform.
In its letter, Peta is said to have written: "It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
"In the case of the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships, someone does indeed get hurt: pigs."
The group offered to pay for "cruelty-free" alternatives to black puddings.
The World Black Pudding Throwing Championship has become one of Ramsbottom's best-known attractions since its launch in 1984, drawing entrants and spectators from across the UK and overseas.
Competitors have travelled from countries including the United States, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Turkey, while a Japanese television personality took part in the 2025 event.
The championship's colourful traditions include competitors throwing specially prepared black puddings from the "Golden Grid", a recreation of the throwing line used at the original competition in Stubbins.
The puddings are produced to a set size and weight, with Chadwick's Black Puddings of Bury Market supplying competition-standard puddings.
Before the contest, each pudding is wrapped in ladies' stockings to help prevent it from bursting on impact and to improve its flight through the air.
Peta's intervention mirrors previous campaigns by the organisation, which has challenged a number of traditional food-themed events around Britain.
The group recently called for a Welsh mackerel festival to be transformed into a cabbage-themed celebration and has previously pushed for greater use of animal-free alternatives at public events.
However, championship organiser Paul Jenkins has said vegan options are already available for anyone who wishes to use them.
He told The Telegraph that the championships were "a quintessential British event", claiming: "It’s on the same level as cheese-rolling at this point."
Mr Jenkins confirmed that there are no intentions for the competition to make the use of vegan products mandatory, but added: "If people want to throw our vegan alternatives, they are more than welcome to."
The event's organisers have previously highlighted the inclusive nature of the championship, which attracts families, first-time throwers, and international visitors alike.
The next World Black Pudding Throwing Championship is scheduled to take place on Bridge Street, Ramsbottom, on Sunday, September 13, 2026, with contestants once again attempting to knock Yorkshire puddings from a 20-foot-high plinth.
While Peta believes vegan-only ammunition should become the norm, organisers appear set to continue allowing competitors to decide for themselves whether to throw traditional or plant-based puddings.
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