A PUB has pushed the gravy boat out by selling Britain’s biggest pies – and punters cannot get enough of them.
The whopping 4lb Desperate Dan Cow Pie comes with a certificate for those who manage to scoff the lot.
The gut-busting steak and kidney pie – which feature two pastry cow horns protruding from the top – has even tempted celebs keen to prove their pastry-eating prestige.
Lenny Henry, Frank Skinner and Angela Rippon have all descended on Mad O’Rourke’s in Tipton, West Mids, in recent years.
Chef Sharon Bagley, 63, said: “People cannot get enough of them.
“We’ve had folks come from all over the world to try our pies. There were chaps that flew all the way from America just to see if they could complete the cow pie challenge.
“It’s crazy. We probably make about 400 pies here every day.
“Only the bravest go for the cow pie because it’s so huge. They get a certificate if they manage to eat it – it’s much tougher than it looks.
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“We’ve got a giant cardboard cut-out of Desperate Dan at the front where people can have their photos done grinning through it.
“And we do a wimp certificate for those who fail!”
Sharon, who has pumped out an estimated 750,000 pies during her 20 years career in the kitchen, revealed: “The secret is to starve yourself the day before!”
The colossal cow pie – which contains gigantic chunks of carrot, potato and kidney in the beef and gravy mix – is made to a secret recipe.
While a number of pie fans have demolished the £11.50 dish – a select few have even managed to down two.
The Black Country boozer’s menu jokes that the meal is so heavy it has to be served on a “reinforced table”.
Sharon added: “Nobody ever orders sides and you’ll definitely not have space for pudding.
Pie regular Dave Hodder, 69, said: “I couldn’t manage to eat the cow pie but there was a chap next to us tucking into one.
“I’m not sure how he managed it. They must have carried him out in a wheelbarrow.”
Other popular pies on the Mad O’Rourke’s’ menu include the Posh n Becks (steak and stilton); Wham Bam, Thank You Ma’am (minted lamb), and the Andy Murray (curry) pie.
Boxing upper-crust Tyson Fury was also honoured with a self-named pie after his retirement in April – which is said to pack a punch.
Staff even posted one out to the Gypsy King’s representatives and hope he will visit to try the dish for himself.
Assistant chef Aiden Woodhill, 26, joked: “We didn’t hear back so maybe it was just too knock-out for him”.
Mad O’Rourke’s base has been a pub since the 1860s and pies have been made there since 1987.
Other celeb guests include the late comedian Victoria Wood and former England striker Steve Bull.
Professional speed eater Leah Shutkever managed to munch a Dangerous Dan cow pie in 10 minutes and 20 seconds.
