Wimpy: World's biggest fan praises meal at Portsmouth outlet as the best on his trip to eat at every UK site

Anthony Zupnik, 36, has munched his way through all 61 of the chain's UK eateries in just 31 days for charity. The software developer said the food at the Clarence Pier outlet was among the best he’s ever had.

He said: “They have this thing called the ‘full English bun’. I had it at Wimpy in Southsea. It’s the only one that has a digital kiosk. I’d never seen it before, never heard of it, and it was this fully loaded burger with hash browns, egg, sausage, cheese, beef burger and bacon – it had everything in it. It was beautiful, absolutely fantastic. I would say that was my absolutely favourite breakfast item, and potentially a contender to be my favourite item overall.”

The Leeds native said he’s now the burger chain’s “undisputed biggest fan” after racking up 2,400 miles in July to complete his supersized culinary adventure. He spent around £1,000 and consumed roughly 40,000 calories by sampling meals, desserts and snacks at every Wimpy outlet in England and Wales - becoming obsessed with the old-school burger joint since he was a teenager.

“I think it’s now undisputed that I’m Wimpy’s biggest fan,” he added. “Some big Wimpy fans have come out online and said, ‘I can’t believe what you’ve done, this is amazing’. These guys are big Wimpy fans - but I think I’m bigger.”

The quest began on July 1 in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with Mr Zupnik proceeding to travel as far south as Swanage, Dorset, to taste all the grub the chain had to offer. The foodie finished his feat by woofing down a burger meal with fries at the brand's most northerly restaurant in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, on July 31. Despite surviving off fast food and travelling thousands of miles on the road, Mr Zupnik said he feels better than ever.

“Health-wise, I’ve felt great,” he said. “I’ve been sleeping better, I’ve been going to bed at the same time every day - between 10pm and 11pm - and getting up at 6am every day. I would say that on this trip of a month, I have eaten much better than I would normally have done if I was on holiday. I’ve supplemented myself with fruit and vegetables outside of the tour and the occasional cereal bar to keep me going. But I haven’t felt any effects. I actually feel really good.”

Mr Zupnik believes he has devoured 1,000 Wimpy meals in his lifetime and his go-to order is a quarter-pounder burger with ketchup, onions and a side of fries. For this mammoth task, he set himself the challenge of trying everything on the menu. Mr Zupnik added that his odyssey was was punctuated by several “memorable moments” where staff at outlets had made him feel extra special.

Employees at the Felixstowe chain chain donated to his fundraiser and made him feel like a “superstar” after hearing of his trip on the radio. Mr Zupnik also admired Wimpy’s oldest eatery in Bexleyheath, London, which he described as “really nostalgic”. While at a branch in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, he was thrilled to find a shrine to the brand with “loads of old school items" and around “40 different badges”.

Mr Zupnik’s godmother ran its branch in Littlehampton, West Sussex, during the 70s and 80s, sparking his love for the chain. He decided to undertake the supersized culinary adventure to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust after surviving testicular cancer aged 22. He came through the health scare to complete a degree in physics, and came up with his plan to raise money for the charity over the last few years.

“I had this idea for a while that I’d like to go and visit all the Wimpys in the country, but it seemed very gratuitous to do it without a reason,” Mr Zupnik said. “So I decided I could marry up this dream I’ve always had with a fundraiser for the Teenage Cancer Trust. To this day, I try to eat at Wimpy as often as I can, something which I am well known for amongst my friends and family. I enjoy the satisfaction of their familiarity, tasty food options, and the civilised manner of eating with a knife and fork.” More than £6,700 has been raised so far. Donations can be made here.