When we think about the British sporting calendar, we usually think of Wimbledon, Ascot and the FA Cup. But for many, our eccentric food competitions up and down the country are just as important.

Totnes Orange Races
It’s a little like the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling (right) but instead of just one big cheese for all, each competitor has his or her own lunchbox orange to chase down the hill. To win, you have to be first across the line with at least some part of your orange. You can’t carry your orange, you can only kick it or throw it.

Who: Fresh fruit lovers and fitness freaks alike.
When: A Tuesday in mid/late August.
Where: High Street and Fore Street, Totnes, Devon.
www.totnesinformation.co.uk 

World Egg Throwing Championships
This is no ordinary throwing game. Teams of two take it in turns to throw a raw egg to their partner, 10 metres away. The partner then has to catch the egg without breaking it, and after each successful airborne transfer the team has to move further apart and throw again. The team that manages to keep the egg intact over the longest distance wins.

Who: Eggheads and vegetarian fans of The Deer Hunter.
When: Last Sunday in June.
Where: Swaton, near Sleaford, in Lincolnshire.
www.eggthrowing.com

Cheese Rolling at Cooper’s Hill
This is the most exciting and dangerous game you can play with cheese. Entrants line up at the top of a rough hill and an 8lb Double Gloucester cheese is rolled down. The contestants have to charge after it. The first to reach the bottom wins and gets to keep the cheese.

Who: Double Gloucester enthusiasts.
When: Whitsun Bank Holiday.
Where: Cooper’s Hill, Brockworth, in Gloucestershire.
www.cheese-rolling.co.uk

World Black Pudding Throwing Championships
The 15th century spat between the houses of Lancaster and York continues as the Lancastrians individually throw black pudding at
a pile of Yorkshire puddings in the hope of settling the ancient rivalry. The black puddings are wrapped in ladies tights to keep them in shape and make them look more attractive.

Who: Lancastrians with a grudge.
When: The second Sunday in September.
Where: The Royal Oak pub, Ramsbottom, Lancashire.
www.ramsbottomonline.com

World Pea Shooting Championships
Contestants are 12 feet away from a 12-inch diameter putty target with scoring areas of one, three and five points and have to blow peas through a shooter. Each contestant must shoot five peas at the target to achieve the highest possible score.

Who: All those in favour of world peas.
When: The second Saturday in July.
Where: The Village Green, Witcham, Cambridgeshire.
www.witcham.org.uk

The Official World Custard Pie Championship
The competition here involves teams of four facing off against each other, eight feet apart, and attempting to hit their opponents with their pies. You get six points for a full face plant, three points for making contact at shoulder height or above and a point for hitting the body.

Who: Charlie Chaplin fans.
When: A Saturday at some point between May and August.
Where: Coxheath Village Hall, Coxheath, Maidstone, Kent.
www.wcpc.me.uk

World Stinging Nettle Eating Championship
Contestants are given one hour to munch their way through as many juicy two feet-long stalks of stinging nettles as they can. The winner is the one who has managed to strip the greatest number of stalks and ingested the leaves. Some people use beer to numb their mouth.

Who: Those of unsound mind and unhealthy appetites.
When: The second Saturday in June.
Where: The Bottle Inn, Marshwood, Dorset.
www.bottleinn.co.uk/PageNettleEating.html

World Gravy Wrestling Championships
In a 16-feet paddling pool in Lancashire, grapplers come together every year to wrestle each other in two inches of real gravy. To keep things interesting, buckets of gravy are also thrown at the wrestlers during the bout and, if competitors flag, the referee is likely to shove them back together and tell them to get on with it.

Who: Gravy guzzlers and grappling fans.
When: August Bank Holiday Monday.
Where: Rose ‘n’ Bowl Pub, Newchurch Road, Stacksteads, Lancashire.
www.rosenbowl.co.uk

Pictures: getty images