Guinness World Record chicken wing challenge at Southend's Roots Hall

Dean Chesterman, vice-chairman of Southend Round Table, is organising the event to beat Amazon’s world record – but is in need of 50,000 wings to make it a reality. 

The 41-year-old, from Great Wakering, is working with the Southend United Community Foundation to set up the event for May 24 next year at Roots Hall. 

He is hoping it will see 1,000 entrants turn out for the event to “obliterate” the current world record held by the world’s largest online retailer.

However, the organisers will need 50,000 wings for the event to go ahead and are appealing for restaurants in south Essex to come forward and support the event. 

Dean added he wants to support charities with the contest, and really hopes to be able to back Southend Women’s Aid, having lived at Basildon women’s refuge as a child with his mother and brother.

He said: “My ideas are always quite large, I love chicken wings and saw there was a record for largest chicken wing eating competition. I cannot remember how I stumbled across it, but I love chicken wings. I thought the largest chicken wing competition is something we should try to do.

“The plan is to have 1,000 entrants, we want to completely obliterate the previous record.

“I used to be a PCSO based in Basildon, I was fortunate enough to do work with Basildon’s women’s refuge and I lived there when I was younger with my brother and mother. We want to get as many people as we can to sell as many tickets as we can, to raise as much money for charity as we can.”

Amazon Web Services current record was set in 2018 and saw 397 participants attend their invent Tatonka Challenge in Las Vegas.

Dean, who works as a civil servant, added the organisation are currently speaking with suppliers in order to source around 50,000 wings for the event. He is hoping the spectacle will attract between 2,000 to 4,000 spectators and raise lots of money for the charity and the foundation.

The fundraising event will be hosted by both Southend Round Table and Southend United Community Foundation and will have live music, food stalls, will be on the pitch.

Entrants fees have not been confirmed, Dean added they are looking at a fee of £45, while tickets for spectators are planned to be around £10. Contact chairman@southendroundtable.com to get involved.

Organiser - John White (Image: John White)

John White, 38, a Southend United legend who played for the club for nine years as a defender

“It’s great for us to be trying something different, it’s doing something that will reach out to a lot of different people. The stadium will help create a great atmosphere on the day, it’s not just for sport people, hopefully people will come from far and wide to be part of a world record attempt.

“Never really expected to be involved in world record attempt for chicken wings. We jumped at the chance, it’s just something so different. Hopefully, we can raise a lot of money for the Community Foundation."