Spicy, messy donairs are not a food for the faint of heart, but a new item at a Cape Breton pizza shop is proving to be a challenge for even the most experienced donair connoisseurs.
Alexandra’s Pizza in Sydney is inviting adventurous eaters to take on its six-pound donair challenge.
In order to complete the challenge, participants have to down five pounds of donair meat, piled high atop a one-pound pita so large it has to be created from scratch. It’s topped with the typical tomatoes and onions and plenty of sweet, garlicky donair sauce. Donair-challenge hopefuls have only an hour to make the delicacy disappear.
Owner Justin Ayre says many have tried, but so far no one has been able to conquer the monstrous meal within the one-hour timeframe.
In fact, he says no one has been able to finish it – period.
“Some guys think they can just walk in and devour it right away, but yeah, within the first 30 minutes, they’re done,” says Ayre.
Experienced eaters have prepared for the daunting task, with some going so far as to attempt to grow their stomachs.
“Some people, they’ve trained for this. Thirty days prior, they start drinking water and eat as much as they possibly can, trying to expand their stomachs,” Ayre says.
Aside from bragging rights, finishing the daunting dish comes with a prize. Alexandra’s Pizza has offered a $500 donation to the winner’s local charity of choice, a photo on the restaurant’s wall-of-fame, and free pizza or donairs for a year.
That is, if they’re interested.
“I don’t know if they’d want to eat donair again after this,” he says.
Maritimers’ love of the sweet and savory dish is legendary, inspiring songs, T-shirts, do-it-yourself donair kits, and even a donair webcam.
The donair was named the official food of Halifax in December 2015.
