PLUCKY staff at a Ledsham hotel have bean smashing a world record to raise more than £500 for charity.

Colleagues at Craxton Wood Hotel were determined to break the Guinness world record for eating as many baked beans as possible with a cocktail stick in three minutes.

And thanks to Jason Rodric, a personal trainer at the hotel’s leisure club, who managed to skewer and swallow an impressive 138 beans, their wish came true – raising much-needed funds for Claire House Hospice in the process.

Despite more than 30 staff members attempting the feat, Jason, 25, smashed the previous record set in 2005, by just two beans, and won himself an iPad.

He said: “It sounded like an easy target to hit, but in practice it was really tricky as your aim has to be good and many of the beans break up when you jab them.

“I got off to a flying start and managed to eat about 70 beans in the first minute but it got progressively harder the fewer beans there were on my plate.

“At the end of the three minutes I was concentrating so hard I didn’t realise I’d done it until I heard the final whistle and the huge cheers from my colleagues.

“I’m really pleased to have broken the target of 136 – I never imagined I’d hold a Guinness world record.”

Nicola Underhill, the hotel’s general manager said she was ‘delighted’ with the efforts of her staff and support from the business community.

She said: “The bean challenge was a fun and successful event in aid of a great cause.

“I am over the moon that Jason broke the world record and delighted with the effort put in by our staff and the support we received.”

The hotel has chosen Claire House as its chosen charity of the year, and is planning more fundraising events later this year, including a frock-swap evening, a murder-mystery dinner and a masquerade ball and gourmet luncheon.