A 34-year-old Briton who drove a truck to Timbuktu on factory-reject chocolate is planning to lead 30 cars, powered only by cooking oil, on a two-week rally from London to Athens in August, Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported yesterday.

The aim of the trip is to find out if using waste vegetable oil is practical for long distances, according to Andy Pag, who said drivers will set off with a full tank of chip fat and then have to scrounge from European restaurants. Participants should have the “ability to explain to a Croatian kebab shop owner that you need his grease,” Pag quipped.

Drivers are to set off on August 16 from a

“greasy spoon” cafe in London and to arrive in Athens two weeks later after crossing mainland Europe. Apart from raising awareness about biofuels, the “Grease to Greece” rally is also raising funds for the British Heart Foundation.