Peta has called for the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships in Ramsbottom to adopt vegan alternatives. The group is similarly pressuring a coastal town in Wales to replace its traditional mackerel festival with a cabbage-themed event.
A 20ft plinth and the legacy of the 1455 battle
The World Black Pudding Throwing Championships, held annually in Ramsbottom, Lancashire, is a competition where participants attempt to knock traditional Yorkshire and Lancashire black puddings off a 20ft high plinth using bloody sausages. According to the report, this eccentric northern tradition is believed to be inspired by a violent 1455 conflict in nearby Stubbins during the War of the Roses, which pitted the House of York against the House of Lancaster.
This event represents a broader trend of "extreme" regional festivals in the UK that blend local history with absurdist competition. Much like the aforementioned conflict in Stubbins, these events often serve as anchors for community identity, turning historical grievances or local industries into public spectacles that attract tourists to rural Lancashire.
Peta's offer to fund 'cruelty-free' sausages
Peta has formally requested that the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships transition to vegan options, arguing that it is unethical to hurl the "blood and fat" of pigs for entertainment. In a letter to the event's organizers, the organization stated , "It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt," adding that in this specific instance, the pigs are the ones suffering.
To facilitate this change, Peta offered to pay for the cruelty-free alternatives to repalce both the Yorkshire puddings and the sausages used as projectiles. As the report says, the animal rights group is attempting to pivot the event away from animal products while maintaining the competitive spirit of the championships.
Paul Jenkins and the 'cheese-rolling' defense
Paul Jenkins, the organizer of the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships, has pushed back against the demand to make vegan options compulsory.. Jenkins noted that the "quintessential British event" already provides vegan alternatives to those who wish to use them, and while they are "more than welcome," he will not mandate their use for all competitors.
Jenkins framed the competition as a harmless piece of folklore, comparing the event's cultural standing to the famous tradition of cheese-rolling. By aligning the black pudding throw with other high-profile, quirky British customs, Jenkins positions the event as a matter of heritage rather than a statement on animal welfare.
The push for cabbages in Aberaeron
Beyond Lancashire, Peta is targeting the town of Aberaeron in Ceredigion, Wales, which is known for its vibrant homes and an annual mackerel festival. The festival marks the end of the fishing season with a procession featuring a giant papier-mâché mackerel that is eventually burnt on the beach to ensure a bountiful harvest for the following year.
Dawn Carr, Peta's vice-president of vegan projects, has proposed that the Aberaeron Yacht Club replace the fish with a giant papier-mâché cabbage. Carr suggested that celebrating plant produce would better reflect the "compassion and warmth" associated with Wales, even providing the organizers with an AI-generated image of the proposed cabbage festival.
The Aberaeron Yacht Club's silent response
While Paul Jenkins provided a clear stance on the black pudding event, the report does not include a direct response from the Aberaeron Yacht Club regarding the cabbage proposal. It remains unclear whether the organizers in Ceredigion view the request as a serious suggestion or a publicity stunt, and whether they intend to modify the mackerel procession.
Furthermore,the report does not specify if any local residents in Aberaeron have voiced support for the plant-based rebranding or if the community remains firmly committed to the mackerel tradition. The lack of a counter-statement from the Welsh organizers leaves the current status of the mackerel festival in question.
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