Pie and mash has been a staple of my diet throughout my adult life.

The cheap and tasty meal was the perfect dinner during my time as a university student. So, when this challenge was put forward by colleagues at work, I was quick to jump at the opportunity.

It was 3pm on Saturday and I had made the effort to not eat throughout the day.

Along with three very hungry friends, I made my way down to the new Flo's Pie & Mash in Guildhall Street, Folkestone.

The eatery opened its doors earlier this month with the promise to serve the people "some proper pie and mash".

With its bright green exterior, the restaurant stands out from the rest of the street.

Inside it had a very old-school feel, with rows of wooden booths on each side.

Balloons were still up from the grand opening on March 10 and there was a very warm and friendly atmosphere.

As we took our seats, I informed the staff that we were ready to take on the challenge.

The announcement was greeted by a few laughs from other customers. In hindsight, this should have been a sign of what we were in for.

One person said: "Good luck, you're going to need it!"

Another person joked: "You've been watching too many eating challenges on YouTube."

The rules were simple - finish the meal in under 20 minutes and earn your place on the five-pie challenge wall of fame.

There was an added incentive of eating for free if you beat the record time of seven minutes and 32 seconds.

If not, you still only need to fork out the very reasonable sum of £14.95.

We were told the pies would be ready in seven minutes. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about the task ahead.

As we waited anxiously, my friend made the wise decision to order us a bottle of water each to help wash down the mountain of food.

Shortly after, the plates started to be delivered to the table.

As the first was placed down, we all looked up and laughed. This was a lot to take on in just 20 minutes.

In front of us was five minced beef pies and double mash, which was bathed in liquor (a traditional parsley sauce).

It smelt and looked amazing.

Within moments, the timer was started.

Complete silence fell as we began shovelling the food into our mouths, whilst trying to figure out what the best technique would be.

I was so eager to devour it as quickly as possible, I almost disregarded the taste of the pie and mash.

The start was difficult, as the pies were still piping hot.

I crushed the pastry with my fork in an attempt to cool them down and started with the mash.

The potato was thick and creamy, which is how I normally like it.

However, the density made it incredibly filling and just a few minutes in I realised this was going to be a struggle.

At the five-minute mark I came up for air to see how my friends were getting on around me.

To my dismay, they were miles ahead, with one of them three-quarters finished already.

This was a kick in the teeth as I looked at the mound of food that remained on my plate.

But I pushed on.

Eight minutes and 28 seconds into the challenge, one of my friends had already completed it.

I was shocked, looking down in despair at my plate that was only about halfway finished.

"I covered mine in vinegar and mashed it all together," he said.

This sounded like a good idea, but I'm not sure it would have made a blind bit of difference for me.

Not long after, my other two friends were finished too.

I was starting to regret inviting them along.

The pressure was now really on. I could not face the shame of being the only one to fail the challenge.

With around eight minutes left on the clock, I got to work on the two pies and the small amount of mash that I had left.

Red-faced and in great discomfort, I managed to eat the next pie.

With only two minutes left to go, just the one remained.

At this point, you would think I could just force it down.

But, much to the amusement of the people surrounding me, the food was starting to make me retch.

As the discomfort continued, my three extremely stuffed co-eaters were willing me to complete the dish.

Devastatingly, with just one bite remaining, a staff member approached the table and told me that time was up.

Feeling defeated and in pain, I sat back in the booth and began to question my decisions.

Whilst I was relieved the ordeal was over, I couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Although, I think this was mainly because I was the only one to miss out.

All that effort, to lose by one bite - I knew I would never live it down.

To add to my embarrassment, we were told that Flo's Pie & Mash would be sharing our efforts on their Facebook page later that day.

The post read: "The highlight of the day had to be when 4 lads came in and went head-to-head with our famous five pie challenge.

"Charlie, Karim and Matt all smashed it….but let’s not talk about Ollie."

Ratings out of five:

Food: The pies were tasty and the double mash was excellent. I am still not convinced by the liquor and would opt for gravy in the future. ****

Drink: Hard to judge the drinks as we only opted for water. It's a shame they didn't serve beer as I needed one to drown my sorrows. ***

Decor: I loved the interior. The diner had a very warm and friendly atmosphere. ****

Staff: Despite their mocking of my effort, all of the staff were very welcoming and a good laugh. *****

Price: You cannot beat the price of the food here. A regular pie & mash meal costs just £4.95 and the amount of food we were given during the challenge for only £14.95 was impressive. *****