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Journalist finishes spicy burger that put him in hospital

A journalist who ended up in hospital after taking one bite of a red-hot chilli burger has finished the snack – and made a three-minute video of the experience.

Ruari Barrett, a former reporter on Brighton daily The Argus, was treated in hospital along with a colleague after they sampled a XXX Hot Chilli Burger from a local fast food restaurant.

Despite suffering severe stomach cramps and losing the feeling in his hands, he decided to eat the rest of the burger after freezing it.

This time he managed to finish the snack but went on to suffer hallucinations, severe pain and vomiting, which he dealt with by bathing in 196 pints of milk.

Journalist Ruari Barrett recovers in the bath after eating the burger

Ruari told HTFP:  “I don’t know why I felt the need to do this but there was a massive sense of something being incomplete after having just one bite.

“This time I was in the same kind of pain, but I didn’t go to hospital.  I’ve conqeuered some of my demons so it felt like a good thing to do.”

Together with two friends, Ruari made a YouTube video of his experience which can be seen here.

Strong language has been removed but the video does contain some graphic scenes.

Ruari was initially hospitalised along with his former Argus colleague Arron Hendy after sampling the burger, sold by Burger Off, in Brunswick Street, Hove.

The £3.90 burger contains a sauce made in India reportedly using about 5,000 kilos of piri piri chillis concentrated into one kilo.

Customers who buy the burger have to sign a waiver releasing the staff of Burger Off from any responsibility for its effects.

The sauce has a Scoville rating of between seven and nine million, which is eighteen times hotter than some pepper sprays.

14 comments

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  • July 16, 2014 at 1:29 pm
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    In the previous story he was “trainee reporter”. Now he’s “former reporter”.

    What’s the story there then? Are we to blame the burger?

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  • July 16, 2014 at 2:32 pm
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    I’m not even sure I believe the story: “hallucinations, severe pain and vomiting, which he dealt with by bathing in 196 pints of milk.”

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  • July 16, 2014 at 3:01 pm
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    Great spot from Wee Ronnie! Intrigued to know the answer.

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  • July 16, 2014 at 3:49 pm
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    I am assured by Ruari that his departure from The Argus was unrelated to the burger incident.

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  • July 16, 2014 at 4:01 pm
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    YouTube video posted by ‘Feed the trolls’!

    Top marks.

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  • July 17, 2014 at 7:54 am
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    Hope no one makes cheese sauce out of milk or puts it on cornflakes.
    The silly season has arrived early.

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  • July 17, 2014 at 7:56 am
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    Using milk for cheese sauce? Or corn flakes.

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  • July 17, 2014 at 9:57 am
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    It’s also brought his arms and legs out in ugly blue blobs. Hope they don’t last a lifetime

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  • July 17, 2014 at 5:51 pm
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    I just looked at that video, vile ‘former reporter’ , wouldn’t be surprised if his editor saw the video and sacked him.

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  • July 17, 2014 at 7:18 pm
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    Things have certainly changed in Brighton if one of their ‘former’ reporters has to be a ‘trainee’ on the Bournemouth Echo.

    Anyone out there know how milk on the exterior affects in any way the high intensity effects of internal burgers?

    Someone should interview a medic – anyone know a reporter?

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  • July 17, 2014 at 7:30 pm
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    Burger – got that part wrong!
    Now, about the milk…

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  • July 18, 2014 at 5:08 pm
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    Loathsome oik! What’s this got to do with journalism?

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