Police hunt couple who tried to eat 12 burgers in six minutes in eating challenge then ‘refused to pay’

‘This is a matter of principle,’ restaurant owner says

Police are searching for two people who claimed to have eaten 12 burgers in six minutes before leaving a restaurant without paying their three-figure bill.

The pair are said to have asked to attempt an eating challenge run by a restaurant in Marlborough, Wiltshire on 5 February.

But staff at the Bite Me Burger restaurant – which offers customers 12 free burgers if they can finish them within six minutes – said they explained the pair could not take part in the challenge, as it had to be pre-booked and it was a “very busy” Saturday night.

The couple then ordered the dozen patties and ate them all, before refusing to pay – insisting that they had completed the challenge, staff alleged.

Marlborough Police said it is investigating the incident as possible theft, and issued CCTV images on Wednesday of a man and woman they wish to speak with.

Simon Wetton, the owner of the Kingsbury Street restaurant, said that he is owed £174 by the diners.

“To do the burger challenge it has to be pre-arranged, as we have to be on-hand to time it properly,” Mr Wetton said.

“It was Saturday night, we were very busy and we didn't have the staff and time to time it – it's meant to be pre-arranged. So we said that, unfortunately, they couldn't do the challenge.

“They still ordered 12 burgers and said they wanted to do the challenge. We explained that sorry, that was just not practical. But when it came to pay they said they had done the challenge in six minutes and would not pay for the burgers, the bill was on us.

“Staff again explained that it had to be timed by us. They argued with the waitress about this, she went to get the manager and by the time he arrived they had walked out.

“So I rang them and said look you owe me this money, please come back and pay it and they hung up on me, after saying they were going to slag off the restaurant on social media.”

He added: “As it happens, I could see from the CCTV footage that it is crystal clear that they didn’t eat the burgers in six minutes, even though it was not pre-arranged.”

The restaurant owner reported the incident to the police, who wrote on Facebook: “We are now investigating this as theft and would ask anyone with information to call us on 101, quoting reference 54220012944.”

Mr Wetton added: “I don't want to waste police time or that of the courts but, on top of all that restaurants have gone through with the lockdown, this is a matter of principle and people should not be allowed to get away with it.”

Additional reporting by SWNS