The Hungarian Eating Contest Championship League (MESZ), founded in 2023 by Ferenc Tóth and Tímea Blazovich, hosted multiple events during their first annual series of competitive eating contests.
Their mission is to bring attention to competitive eating in Hungary, Europe, and around the world, as outlined in our previous article, which is available here.
In late August, MESZ held its first official eating championship to crown the ultimate champion of the organization. Over several months, they hosted qualifier and consolation rounds, which featured contestants competing head-to-head, showcasing their unique eating skills with hopes of being victorious.
The seven champions from those rounds were chosen to compete for the grand prize on August 25th at Bikás Park in Budapest, Hungary, on the main stage during the annual Burger II Blues II BeerFest.
The championship featured two special guests who both participated for fun:
• JWebby Can Eat: Australia's top-ranked competitive eater and fourth-ranked eater globally, as recognized by Major League Eating.
• Abebe Dániel: A popular singer-songwriter based in Hungary, known for multiple albums and touring with various bands.
With the stage set, competitors were ready for the showdown at this exclusive eating event. However, Gábor Kordics was unable to participate at the last minute for unknown reasons, leaving a total of six competitors to battle it out.
The final lineup, provided by MESZ:
• Csizmadia Zoltán (Bacon Burger Tata)
• Orosz György (Unique Burger Budapest)
• Lázók Csaba (Roncsbár)
• Váradi Bence (Ha Mo Asian Bistro)
• Fegyverneky Zsolt (Sarok Vendéglő)
• Kardos Károly (Alföldi Street Food Festival)
The competition menu, as provided to us by MESZ:
• Three Civita edible plates: A surprise addition from MESZ, these edible plates offered a twist to the overall menu.
• Classic burger from Fruska Verda Bistro: Burger with vegetables, cheese, and a beef patty, served on a soft bun.
• Special gyro from Fish House: A twist on the traditional Greek gyro, featuring rotisserie-cooked meat, fresh vegetables, and tzatziki sauce on pita bread.
• Pierogi and hamburger from Pirog-Da Erdőkerülő: Pierogi are traditional dumplings in Eastern European cuisines, often filled with savory ingredients like meat, cheese, vegetables, and can be boiled, baked, or fried.
• Bubble waffle with ice cream from Popeye Bubble Waffle: Originating in Hong Kong, this waffle is crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, shaped like a cone, and filled with ice cream.
As the countdown echoed throughout the venue, the competitors wasted no time diving into this high-stakes championship. The rules were simple: eat the bubble waffle ice cream cone first and take down the menu the fastest to claim the title of ultimate champion.
Sounds easy enough, right?
Not quite. Speed was the key, but the varying textures of the food increased the difficulty of the contest. The outside temperature was also a factor, as the sweltering heat caused the ice cream to melt quickly, creating an obstacle for competitors.
After a fierce battle, it was clear the competitors put in 100% effort. However, only one emerged victorious. Lázók Csaba was declared the champion of the Hungarian Eating Contest Championship League! He took down the menu in an impressive 7 minutes and 48.68 seconds!
In addition to claiming his new title, he also received a custom t-shirt and other prizes. Despite not feeling well before the competition, he pushed on and did not let it slow him down!
JWebby Can Eat had the fastest time, devouring the entire menu in just 4 minutes and 1.91 seconds! There was also an exciting battle between Váradi Bence and Fegyverneky Zsolt for second and third place. Zsolt claimed second place with a time of 9 minutes and 16.05 seconds, while Bence finished in 9 minutes and 35.20 seconds, securing a third-place finish.
Watch the full contest below:
With the contest season drawing to a close after this epic finale, MESZ is already hard at work organizing an exciting 2025 season. You can view updates on the upcoming season, competitors, news, and more by visiting their website, which is available here. Stay tuned!
Photo credits: MESZ, JWebby Can Eat.
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