CURRY lovers will put their tastebuds to the test as brave challengers are being urged to see just how much spice they can take in a ruthless chutney eating contest.

As part of the inaugural "Currynation Hall" fundraiser, 12 fearless competitors will battle it out on stage at Ulverston's Coronation Hall this Friday by tasting seven scorching hot chutneys prepared by Delish owner Sam Halpin.

The famous Ulverston landmark is set to be turned into a pop-up Indian restaurant with tasty curries, live music and real ale from Ulverston Brewery to help raise money for St Mary's Hospice.

The event was cooked up by Bob Qazi and Geoff Steele as a way to amass funds for the hospice and to encourage men and young people to become more aware of health risks they may face.

The pair hope that the night will pique the community's interest and be seen as a unique fundraiser by people in Ulverston and beyond.

Mr Steele said: "We've had conversations with the hospice to try and think of different ways to help them and that's how we came up with the 'Currynation Hall' idea.

"We run lots of different events for the hospice and this is just another and we hope that it will be a success and people get behind it.

"We hope the chutney contest will create a bit of humour on the night and there will be prizes for the person who can last the longest and the person who gets the most sponsors."

To help the event run smoothly, businesses from across south Cumbria have pitched in to offer their services to the hospice.

Chefs from Ulverston restaurant Naaz recently visited Furness College to give students a cookery masterclass, with the youngsters set to make their own curries which will be dished out on the night.

Other companies and businesses, including the Sun Inn, Kimberly-Clark and Cater Kwik have declared themselves as sponsors.

The event will take place on Friday from 5pm to 10pm at the Coronation Hall in Ulverston.

Tickets cost £10 and this includes a curry and a beer. It will cost extra to enter the chutney eating contest but two prizes are up for grabs on the night.

No entries will be accepted on the door so tickets must be purchased in advance via the St Mary's Hospice website or by calling the Coronation Hall box office on 01229 587140.

To test out just how spicy the chutneys are, Evening Mail reporter Alex Grove (who struggles with a tikka masala) endured the challenge in preparation for Friday's contest.

You can watch a video at www.nwemail.co.uk to see how Alex fares against fundraiser Geoff Steele and chutney creator Sam Halpin.