World Custard Pie Championship 2027 Guide

RESEARCH CHECKED 22 October 2026

The spectacle

Coverage of the 2026 championship describes teams competing at Coxheath Village Hall. This is a scored contest with organised teams, rather than an unrestricted pie fight for everyone attending. Read the current competition rules before entering, and follow the designated spectator boundary if you go to watch.

The story behind it

Villagers in Coxheath, just south of Maidstone, have been flinging custard pies at one another in the name of competition for decades; the organiser, Mike Fitzgerald, has even written a book charting 50 years of the championship. The recreation ground near the village hall is regarded as the home of competitive pie throwing, although the event has occasionally moved: in 2012 it was held at the Stile Bridge pub in Marden in September. The format is more disciplined than you might expect. The previous winners first hand back the trophy, then teams of four face each other eight feet apart and trade pies through a series of heats. Points are awarded for accuracy and deducted for misses, and the judges add extra marks for technique and costumes.

The date and the booking hours

The village hall diary lists the Custard Pie Championship on Saturday 12 June in its June 2027 section. Its room-booking hours cover use of the venue; they are not a verified public opening time. We therefore offer an all-day calendar entry without inventing a start time.

Where to go

The hall’s address is Stockett Lane, Coxheath, Maidstone, ME17 4PT. Confirm the event entrance and current parking arrangements before travelling. Do not assume that a hall booking guarantees a parking space or that nearby streets are available for event parking.

Entry and visitor arrangements

The organiser’s indexed team-registration page specifies teams of four adults aged 18 or over. We have not verified current places or fees from the full form. Spectator admission, food, toilets and accessible viewing also need confirmation from the organiser for the 2027 edition.

Taking part

Before you start practising, check which hand you'll be throwing with. Euronews' report on the 2021 championship describes left-handed throwing, with teams lined up behind tables. Scoring rewarded accurate hits and docked a point for two misses in a row. That explains why such a messy contest can look so carefully choreographed, but it's not the full rulebook for your next entry.

Ask the organisers for the current conditions, the team information they need and the kit they supply. Leave homemade mixtures at home, and don't assume these are puddings fit to eat. The same report described pies made of flour and water, not real custard. If ingredients matter because of an allergy or sensitivity, get an answer from the current organiser before you take part or bag a spectator spot close to the action. Hold off on costume plans until you've seen the rules: you'll need to see, move and hear the officials. Old footage is a fine introduction, but it doesn't entitle you to join a heat or wander into the throwing area on the day.

Make a day of it nearby

Maidstone Museum offers local curiosities of a very different kind, with collections spanning natural history and Ancient Egypt, plus changing exhibitions. Its council-run website separates general entry from charged exhibitions and publishes seasonal opening information. Check the calendar for your actual date, particularly if you're thinking of a Sunday visit rather than going on championship day.

Kent Life at Sandling makes a good family alternative. Its Vintage Village gathers historic buildings, including cottages, a farmhouse, an oast house and other echoes of Kent's rural life. Some historic buildings may be closed during weddings or functions, the attraction warns, so ask about any feature that's central to your visit. Both need their own journeys and admission checks. Neither is part of the pie championship, and neither stands in for its parking arrangements. You might keep one for another day and leave your Coxheath visit flexible until public opening and competition times are confirmed. A booking in the hall diary is far too little to hang a tightly timed two-attraction itinerary on.

Accessibility and families

Coxheath Village Hall's website mentions a small gated play area at the back of the main hall, meant for small children under adult supervision. That's the venue on an ordinary day, not a confirmed championship-day extra. Ask whether it'll be open and how it fits the event layout before promising it to a child. Other rooms shown on the website may be booked or used to run the competition.

The hall's page headed Accessibility is about keyboard access to the website, not a physical access check of the field. So don't take that heading as confirmation of a level route for spectators or an accessible toilet. Contact the organiser and venue about the specific facilities you need, including parking or drop-off, seating and the surface to the viewing area. With children, choose a spot outside the throwing space and agree a meeting point away from it. Watching doesn't mean volunteering as a target, and however harmless the pies look, nobody in the family should wander into the contest.

Questions people ask

Which hand do competitors throw with?

The 2021 report we read describes left-handed throwing. Check the current rules before entering, as older coverage isn't the next rulebook.

Are the pies edible custard?

Not in the Euronews report, which describes flour-and-water pies. Ask the current organiser about ingredients, and don't treat them as something to eat.

Does the hall diary give public opening times?

No, it records venue bookings. Check spectator opening and the competition programme with the organiser.

Is the hall play area guaranteed to be open?

No. Its usual venue description isn't an event-day promise, and we couldn't confirm access, so ask the organiser first.

Plan your trip

STAY OVER

Make a night of it

Search places to stay in and around Maidstone for 12 June 2027. Popular events can fill nearby rooms early, so check cancellation terms.

Find a place to stay on Booking.com ↗

BY TRAIN

Nearest station: Maidstone East

The nearest stations are East Farleigh, about two miles away, and Maidstone East or Maidstone West, about three miles; Coxheath Village Hall is on Stockett Lane, ME17 4PT.

Check trains on Trainline ↗

Booking.com and Trainline links are affiliate links — what that means.

Where it is

Map pin shows the approximate area where the event happens. Open in OpenStreetMap ↗

Make a weekend of it

Odd things nearby

Rochester Sweeps Festival 11 miles · 1–3 May 2027
Edenbridge Bonfire 19 miles · 7 November 2026
Rye Bonfire 22 miles · 14 November 2026

Also in June

Appleby Horse Fair Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria
Hawick Common Riding Hawick, Scottish Borders
Lanimer Day Lanark, South Lanarkshire
Great Knaresborough Bed Race Knaresborough, North Yorkshire

Featured in our guides: 11 Odd Contests You Can Enter · 12 World Championships You’ve Never Heard Of

Still to confirm before you travel

Confirm public opening and competition times, spectator admission, entry availability, parking and accessible facilities. The hall diary supports the date, not a complete visitor programme.

Go straight to the source

Independent research. The organiser’s own information always wins — we have not visited or tested the journeys.

World Custard Pie Championship