Hundreds of spectators filled the streets of Bury on Sunday for the annual World Black Pudding Throwing Championships.
The offbeat contest has been a fixture in the Greater Manchester market town for more than 30 years. It returned this year after being cancelled in 2025 following the death of its long-serving organiser.
The tradition is said to draw inspiration from a bitter clash fought in nearby Stubbins in 1455 during the War of the Roses, between the Houses of Lancaster and York.
Each challenger is given three black puddings to throw at Yorkshire puddings perched atop a 25ft scaffolding tower. Their task is simple: dislodge as many of the savoury targets as they can.
As well as the unusual sporting action, the much-loved event offers visitors live music, food stalls and activities for children.
Celebrations were in full swing as the championships made their return to Bury this weekend, with crowds packed into the street to watch the contest unfold.
Photographs showed competitors of all ages, including young children, laughing and joking as they joined the festivities, which began at about 11am and ran until 5pm.
The contestant who brings down the highest number of Yorkshire puddings receives £100, a trophy and the World Black Pudding Throwing Champion title for the next calendar year.
Hundreds of revellers flocked to Bury on Sunday for the annual World Black Pudding Throwing Championships
Held in Greater Manchester for more than three decades, the event challenges competitors to knock Yorkshire puddings from a tower using black puddings
A man is pictured trying his luck with a black pudding on Sunday as scores of spectators watch on
The event was cancelled last year following the death of its long-term organiser, but returned in style this weekend
Celebrations got underway at 11am this morning with live music – and didn’t finish until around 5pm
The championship, however, sparked controversy only last month when Animal Rights campaigners demanded vegan alternatives be used instead of black puddings.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Foundation said it was wrong for the ‘blood and fat’ of pigs to be hurled ‘for a bit of fun’.
It added: ‘It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt. In the case of the World Black Pudding Throwing Championship, someone does indeed get hurt: pigs.’
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The campaigners also said they would pay for ‘cruelty-free’ options instead of the Yorkshire puddings and the bloody sausages thrown towards them.
Paul Jenkins, who organises the annual event, fought back by arguing that the ‘quintessential British event’ already offered vegan alternatives to its competitors.
And while he said the championships would not make the use of vegan alternatives compulsory, he said people who opted for them were ‘more than welcome to’.
The event got underway with local band the Bolton Caledonia pipers playing at 10.30am. A short time later, competitors had their black puddings at the ready.
All proceedings from the day are being donated to Bury Hospice and the Ramsbottom Pantry.
Jacob Vahey travelled from Hull as part of his mission to complete the ‘365 Sports Challenge’, which will see him compete in 365 different sports events on every day of the year. He is doing so to raise money for the mental health charity Campaign Against Living Miserably.
Jacob arrived at the very beginning of the day and stayed into the afternoon, completing three rounds of black pudding throwing.
He said: ‘I’m doing the challenge in memory of two friends that we sadly lost to suicide. It started on October 1 last year, so I’m most of the way through the challenge now, I’m getting towards the back end of it.
‘I found out about the black pudding championship a few weeks ago just from searching for weird annual sports and it was a no brainer. I was on holiday yesterday, so I flew back last night just in time for today.
A young girl lobs a black pudding directly on top of a pile of five Yorkshire puddings
‘I got to Manchester Airport about 11 pm yesterday, stayed at my brother’s house and then it’s back to Hull tonight and back at work tomorrow.
‘I really enjoyed it, it was definitely unique but that’s what makes an entertaining challenge and that’s what brings so many people to it.
‘It’s up there as one of the weirdest sports I’ve done so far – right up there with gravy wrestling and bog snorkelling in terms of top tier weirdness.’
Paul Jenkins, chair of the event’s organising committee, said: ‘When this first started, it started as a little tiny community event at one local pub. Now the whole of Ramsbottom gets together for the second weekend in September and we do this ridiculous thing in the centre of the street.
‘We’re making huge amounts of money for the Bury Hospice and the Ramsbottom Pantry just from everybody having a good time. Kids are on the funfair, people are down at the stalls, people are enjoying some food out and the sunshine is staying with us somehow.
‘We’ve got volunteers everywhere working, picking up puds, climbing up ladders, doing things that are not regular, are not normal. And I think that’s kind of right for Ramsbottom – we don’t quite do things as everybody else does. We just do our own version of life and we enjoy it together.’