But being told you have some smashed pie on your face is.
Hughan Gould had plenty of bits of pie stuck to his puhs after winning the St Andrew’s Day Haggis pie-eating competition yesterday, and appreciated being told what part of his face to rub clean.
The 62-year-old was one of eight people who were game enough to enter, to see who could eat a haggis pie in the quickest time.
It was the third time in a row Mr Gould won the competition, but he was disappointed when the timer malfunctioned, and he was unable to see if he broke his record.
The champion pie-eater set the record of 37.33sec in 2020.
Mr Gould said the secret to his success was confidence and making sure his stomach was empty for the big event.
"The older you get, the bolder you get.
"I stopped eating about 18 hours beforehand, so I was getting pretty hungry.
"The pies were a bit cold, which did make it easier to eat quickly, but I feel I was about 10 seconds over my record time."
The thought of eating minced-up sheep organs in a pie might turn the stomachs of most people, but not South Australian tourist Alison Lucas.
The Carnival Splendor cruise ship passenger heard about the competition while on the bus from Port Chalmers to Dunedin yesterday, and decided to give it a go.
"We’ve been to many Highland festivals around the world.
"I was in a pipe band for seven years and my mum was from Glasgow, so competing in a haggis pie-eating competition was very enjoyable.
"I was going for the slow and steady approach and I thought I did quite well.
"I wasn’t going for that messy look.
"Last is better than having a face covered in pie."
