7-Eleven's Big Bite Match Hotdog Eating Contest

History has proven that Filipinos could stomach almost anything – from hundreds of years of being colonized to the challenges of the modern times. Now, it’s time for them to prove the strength of their gut – literally.

The Big Bite Match event of 7-Eleven was hosted by Paolo Abrera. It was held at the Rockwell Tent in Guadalupe, Makati City on July 4, 2009.

Paolo Abrera & Me

A sport of growing worldwide popularity that started in the U.S. and Japan, 7-Eleven Philippines has recently unveiled a competitive eating battlefield with Big Bite ® Match hotdog eating contest. Open to all 7-Eleven Filipino patrons and hotdog lovers, this is one of the biggest and widest gastronomic competitions ever assembled in the country to date.

Tom Gilbert, me with fellow bloggers

“Our culture has a natural affinity for food and if there’s one sport we can excel in, competitive eating is one of them,” said Armi Andrade, 7-Eleven’s Food Service Division Manager. “We believe that Filipinos will appreciate the different kind of exhilaration coupled with this spectator event.”

This is nothing short of a digestive grandstanding. Up until August 15, 2009 (Mondays to Saturdays), Filipino eating machines can prove their ingestion prowess by going to the nearest 7-Eleven outlets and finishing 5 hotdogs in the shortest time possible. The fastest eaters from 7-Eleven stores nationwide will compete in the culminating event. And in the final Big Bite Match, the champion gurgitator will receive Php 500,000 in cash.

And to prove that they take competitive eating seriously, 7-Eleven Philippines flew in internationally renowned competitive eater Tom “Goose” Gilbert to serve as an inspiration to aspiring Filipino gurgitators.

Tom "Goose" Gilbert & Me

“It’s a relatively new sport so we want to show an example on how the rest of the world is doing it,” quipped Andrade. “And there’s no better way to do this than by bringing in a champion like Tom Goose.”

Tom Goose made one of competitive eating’s most memorable debut performances when he defeated several veteran professional eaters at the 2nd annual World Italian Sausage Eating Championship in 2006. Currently, he is the world record holder in chicken wings eating and has other titles under his belt.

Who Will Emerge as the Ultimate Filipino Eating Machine?

The battlefield has been drawn in search for the very first Big Bite ® Match champion gurgitator. Whoever is hungry enough to win will emerge victorious and those who will come to 7-Eleven Philippines to witness this gastronomic duel can expect a unique kind of entertainment – bite after bite.

Tom Gilbert, me with fellow bloggers

7-Eleven is celebrating its 25th year of being the largest convenience store chain in the Philippines. For inquiries about franchising, please contact the Customer Hotline at (632) 724-10-31 or the Mobile Hotline at +63-920-945-2036. Big Bite ® Match is the biggest competitive eating event in the Philippines visit www.eatingmachinesphilippines.com for more information.

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