CANCELLED If you’ve ever walked past the Green Man on Putney Heath and thought about popping in, today might be the day.
The pub is hosting its inaugural Yorkshire Pudding Eating Competition this morning, challenging anyone brave enough to see how many double-egg yorkies they can demolish in three minutes flat. It kicks off at 11am, just enough time to have breakfast, question your life choices, and head over.
Entry costs £10 and includes unlimited puddings during the competition, two pints of Wimbledon Brewery ale (or soft drinks), plus gravy, sauces and milk to help them go down. The winner gets their name etched onto the pub’s brand new trophy and a brewery tour for two at Wimbledon Brewery, the independent brewery based in Colliers Wood. Second and third place take home Young’s and Wimbledon Brewery merchandise.
The pub is billing it as the perfect way to wave goodbye to Dry January. Whether you’re in it to win it or just in it for the carbs, it’s hard to argue with unlimited Yorkshire puddings on a Sunday morning.
A pub worth knowing
The Green Man has been sitting on the edge of Putney Heath since around 1700, which means it’s seen a few things. Back in the day, it stood on an old duelling spot. The pub was where contestants retreated after their battles, presumably to steady their nerves or tend their wounds.
The heath was also notorious for highwaymen. Local legend has it that Dick Turpin once stashed his guns in the upstairs room, and robbers would watch wealthy travellers taking refreshment in the pub before following them across the heath to relieve them of their valuables.
These days the dangers are somewhat reduced: mostly limited to overconfident quiz teams on Tuesday nights and whatever competitive eating does to the human body. The pub has a proper country-house feel, a decent garden for when the weather behaves, and it’s Young’s, so the beer is reliable.
If you’ve done the Putney Heath walk a hundred times and never actually stopped in, a Yorkshire pudding eating contest is as good an excuse as any.
The details
The competition runs from 11am to 12pm today, Sunday 1 February. Tickets are £10 via DesignMyNight — the pub says spaces may be limited, so it’s worth booking rather than just turning up.
The Green Man is at Wildcroft Road, SW15 3NG, right on the edge of the heath near the bus garage.
Note: this event was cancelled. The pub’s manager told Putney.news that not enough people signed up online. The good news is that they’re up for running it again if people express interest.
