A BOLTON pub known for setting ambitious food challenges has set another test for its punters. So our reporter Andrew Bardsley went along to The Farmers Arms to see if he could succeed where others have failed...

THE 'triple bypass' burger, the hot wing challenge and the chocolate challenge have all seen hardy souls flock into the Darcy Lever pub to see if they have got what it takes to pass the test.

But I have to say, the pub's new challenge is certainly its toughest yet.

To look at it, you would think I was being a bit melodramatic. However when you hear that the muffin with a filling of three chicken breasts contains half a pint of the hottest chilli sauce in the world, you might sympathise.

I had 10 minutes to eat the burger itself, and to complete the challenge I would not be allowed to have a drink for another 10 minutes.

If successful, I would win a £25 food voucher and have my name immortalised on the pub's board and alongside two heroic contestants who have already completed it.

I started to realise I had probably bit off more than I could chew when I was asked to sign a disclaimer before the challenge, absolving the pub of any responsibility if I was whisked away in an ambulance.

Then I was told I would have to wear gloves, because the sauce can cause a reaction to skin because it is so hot.

So as you can probably imagine, I was quite nervous at this point.

I'm sad to say I only lasted for two bites, because the spice from the Naga chilli sauce was so strong.

My glasses started to steam up, and sweat began to pour down my face almost instantaneously.

Jon Jones, the chef behind this painful challenge, had earlier warned me that one contestant's lips had started to bleed while taking part and that a splash of the sauce on his arm had left a red mark.

So while steam was coming out of my ears like something out of a cartoon, I decided to bow out of the challenge before I caused myself any lasting damage.

Not before Jon had a good laugh at how much of a wimp I was, mind. But in the battle between Naga and man, Naga always wins.

Jon said: "That was the funniest reaction we had had yet! At least you had a go though."

He said that people react in many different ways to the extreme sauce, which is not available to buy in the shops and is created on site at the pub.

Jon said: "One guy had a bite and then ran around for ages before having another bite, and someone else got really hyper."

Not satisfied with the turning up the temperature in the latest challenge, more culinary tests are being planned for the future including a meter long hot dog, and a eat as much as you can profiterole challenge.

Jon said: "It is not a serious thing, but it is a way of bringing people into the pub who wouldn't necessarily come."

The pub also prides itself on producing hearty pub grub, and is also holding a gourmet night on Thursday (Nov 12) where Jon, who previously appeared on Masterchef, will showcase his skills.

The challenge mirrors TV programme Man Versus Food where Adam Richman took on food challenges at eateries across the USA.