The Scotch Egg Challenge is back

A Scotch egg is a versatile British staple: it can be a starter, a hangover cure, an eat-while-you-walk snack or, if large enough and paired with a Guinness, a reasonable lunch. In fact, during the days of befuddled Covid regulations, Matt Hancock said it counted as a ‘substantial meal’, making a Scotch egg all that stopped our ensuing six or seven pints from being labelled a crime. 

But those dark days are over, and to make certain we all know it, the annual Scotch Egg Challenge is returning after a long hiatus. 

Beloved by the industry and rebranded this year (its 10th anniversary) as The Guinea Grill Scotch Egg Challenge, this is a serious competition with serious contestants. The line-up of egg-makers includes James Knappet of The George and Kitchen Table; Sally Abe of The Pem (and a finalist on this year’s Great British Menu); Tom Booton from The Dorchester; and former MasterChef winner Natalie Coleman (The Oyster Shed).  

Judges will blind-taste every entry and give each a mark out of 10 for flavour, appearance, and presentation. Hard to imagine a tougher job. Tatler’s Fay Maschler, the Guardian’s Bob Granleese, Evening Standard tinkerer David Ellis and special guest judge Darragh Curran, AKA the ‘Guinness Guru’, will be taking on the daunting task.  

The Guinea Grill’s Oisin Rogers said: ‘I can’t wait to welcome everyone back to the Guinea to take part in the Scotch Egg Challenge. It’s been amazing seeing all our customers enjoy special events again, and now it’s finally time to host one of our biggest parties of the year. It is going to be a lot of fun – come one, come all and bring a huge appetite.’ 

The event will be held on June 20 from 6-10pm. It’s free, so come early to make sure you snag a spot.

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