Pudding-throwing prince stuns crowd

The Prince threw the muslin-wrapped pudding across the tent.

A playful Prince of Wales stunned onlookers when he threw a steamed pudding during an official engagement in Devon on Thursday.

The Prince was being shown the round, muslin-wrapped orange and Cointreau flavoured confection at a meeting of farmers and local food producers near Kingsbridge.

Suddenly he said: "Where are the young farmers - I have found a new sport, pudding hurling."

And then the Prince tossed the pudding across the tent.

"It was a bit mad, wasn't it" George Hollywood

After the pudding was caught by one of the young farmers, the Prince retrieved it and said: "I'd better put it back."

George Hollywood, 18, who had been showing the Prince the range of puddings he makes in nearby Ottery St Mary - set up with the help of the Prince's Trust - said: "When the Prince picked up the pudding he said it would make a good shot put game. "

"It was a bit mad, wasn't it?" said Mr Hollywood, adding that he was giving the Prince a box of the puddings.

The Prince's pudding-throwing episode happened shortly after he sampled two locally brewed beers.

First he took a sip of 4.3% Otter Bright, and then the 5.8% Otter Head.

Patrick McCaig, from Otter Brewery at Luppitt, gave the Prince a case of their beers as a 21st birthday present for Prince William.