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We’ve already had a professional eater in town this week tackling a 6lb Philly Cheesteak. Now take a look at the latest meal challenge in the form of a 5lb burger.

The giant patty, which comes courtesy of city centre restaurant Uncle Sam’s, comes in at an estimated 10,000 calories. We sent Sam Peers to take on the challenge.

Like many people on a Wednesday afternoon, I had a lot on my plate. But unlike many of them, I was staring at a mountain of meat, and preparing myself for the task of eating it.

WATCH: The Echo's Sam Peers try the Big Burger challenge

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Uncle Sam’s restaurant on Bold Street boasts an impressive array of American-style fare, but the king of the menu has to be their new gargantuan, two and a half pound burger. The beef slab itself is a terrifying sight to even the biggest of eaters, but that’s the tip of the iceberg.

Along with two varieties of cheese, the 40-ounce burger is piled with chips, onion rings, bacon and tomato sauce, all packed into an 11-inch bun.

The origins of the mammoth meal came from proprietor Matty Bichara, who got the idea from ‘Man vs Food’. “It creates a good atmosphere, with people cheering each other on.”

Matty also says that the challenge has been a good way of attracting new customers since the family business’s move from Renshaw Street six years ago.

“We’ve always had a loyal customer base, but this is something new.”

With around 600 attempts only 19 have managed the finish the mighty dish so the chance of success seemed quite low.

Company owner and Matty’s dad Hamdi greeted me and proudly presented his wall of fame. He awards the brave few who munch their way to the end with a medal.

If I wasn’t nervous before, I was by the time Hamdi brought out the burger. As he rang a bell enthusiastically, a nearby loudspeaker blasted out Eye of the Tiger and the calorific wonder arrived. “It costs £17.50 normally”, he explained. “But winners have it for free.”

As I dug into the delicious mountain, David Bowie’s Absolute Beginners began playing in the background. It seemed very fitting, as competitive eating was entirely new to me. As he watched me sawing dutifully away at the bun, Hamdi showed me a photo of himself next to a grinning man. As it turns out, the pictured man had a good reason to grin - he polished off the hefty meal in just half an hour.

I had no such hopes. Having avoided food for the past fourteen hours, the first five minutes were easy. I thought back to the endless repeats of Man vs Food, trying to recall presenter Adam Richman’s words of wisdom. I remembered his invaluable advice that you should attack the food quickly, eating as much as you can in as little time as possible.

Cutting into the centre of the burger, where the meat is thickest, I struggled to spear a good mouthful from the mound, and soon there were bits of chip and bacon spilling over the plate’s edge as I frantically shovelled as much in as I could. It worked - for a while.

After ten minutes of grub galore, I felt the food take its toll. The flavours were wonderful, but remarkably rich, and it soon became an uphill struggle.

After 35 minutes, I lay down my fork. My jaw aching and feeling too full to move, I sadly watched the remains of the meal disappear.

But at least I tried.