It took only a little more than 13 minutes for Mr Mantovani to demolish 1.5 kg of chicken and 1.5 kg of chips as part of an eating challenge at Rushworth’s Criterion Hotel.
Criterion Hotel owners Daryl and Kerrin Bartlett set the parmigiana challenge in December, in which applicants have to eat 1.5 kg of chicken, 1.5 kg of chips, 250 g of salad and drink a pint of beer within 45 minutes.
While Kerrin said “about half a dozen” people had attempted the challenge, no-one had been successful until now.
The Cobram orchardist smashed the challenge, completing it in 13 minutes and 15 seconds, setting the pub’s first record during a lunchtime sitting.
Vince heard about the challenge after a Shepparton friend tagged him in it on Facebook.
He has been taking part in restaurant and pub eating challenges since 2015, and is currently ranked number four in Australia in a national sanctioned competitive eating competition.
Vince has taken part in 332 restaurant and hotel eating challenges and said he “pretty much holds the record” for all of them.
As well as all the food that had to be eaten as part of the Rushworth challenge, Vince also drank two jugs of water, which he says is important when taking part in eating challenges.
“To push the food down, you have to drink. Otherwise you wouldn’t get it in the time limit,” Vince said.
While for most people the Criterion’s eating challenge would be overwhelming, Vince said for him it was an easy one.
“If I did it again I would get a better time,” he said.
“I’d probably get it down to 11 or 12 minutes.”
In fact, Vince took part in another eating challenge that night — in Yinnar in Gippsland.
That challenge saw him eat 2.8 kg of chicken and 1.2 kg of chips in 28 minutes and one second.
The 41-year-old said he was expecting that challenge to have a smaller amount of food, and admitted he struggled with it a bit.
“That was really hard,” he said.
He said in preparation for the eating challenges he would “stretch” his stomach by drinking four to five litres of water and electrolytes quickly the day before and again about five hours before he took part in the challenge.
“It just helps take the discomfort out (from eating so much food),” he said.
Vince said he started taking part in eating challenges as he would eat three or four burgers after bodybuilding training.
“I always knew I could eat a lot, but I never knew I could eat fast,” he said.
“I do them (eating challenges) more to entertain people.
“It’s just a hobby. I’m doing it for fun.”
● To see videos of Vince’s eating challenges, follow him on Instagram at @bigv_mantovani or on his Vince Mantovani Facebook page.
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