The whole point of the US fire truck food truck, is that its, well, a fire truck. So most of what we have done with it has been aimed at theming around it being a firetruck.
When we officially launch it we will have some nice touches that match up with the theme. One of these will be our new work aprons. They are actually made form used fire fighter turn out gear. If you don’t know turn out gear is a term for the safety outfits they wear when attending a fire, or ‘turn out.’
We happened upon a Dutch based company, Remade Industries, that takes used fire equipment and repurposes it into things such as bags, oven mittens etc. And aprons. These are all unique, as they are made from different outfits cut in different ways, but they suit our theme to a T. Also being made from turn out gear, they are fire proof and tough.
Our Fire Fighter Turn Out Gear Apron
These are fabulous quality, and tick the environmental box as they are re using equipment. Oh, and we like the idea of them all having a history, like being used in real fires.
When we purchased our ex Evansville, Indiana USA fire truck, it came with a name proudly emblazoned upon the side. This was John W. Sanders II.
I did some research and actually made contact with the deputy fire chief of the department the truck had served in. He explained that in the US they name their appliances after deceased fire fighters. (Or local dignitaries or long serving fire chiefs if they are lucky enough not to have any deceased fire fighters when they buy a new truck).
We decided to keep the name the same, we felt that a bit like buying a boat, it might be bad luck to change it.
On the side of the fire truck are four holes where a plaque would have been mounted. This is usually along the lines of thanking the local mayor, council etc for raising the funds to buy the truck. This was obviously missing on ours so we had a replacement plate made. This is pictured below and carries the fireman’s prayer.
The Fire Fighters Prayer.
Written by Alvin William “Smokey” Linn, a fire fighter in Brunswick Maine. A man who’s life story is worth a read.
It is often accompanied by the Fire Fighters “Wife’s” prayer;
“The table’s set, the meal’s prepared, our guests will soon arrive My husband once more disappears with a hope of keeping a child alive.
While waiting at home alone, our plans having gone awry My first impulse is merely to sit right down and cry.
But soon again I realise the importance of my life When I agreed to take on the duties of being a fireman’s wife.
While there are many drawbacks, I’ll take them in my stride Knowing “My Daddy saved a life” our children can say with pride.
The gusting winds and raging flames may be his final fate But with God’s help I can remain my fireman’s faithful mate.”
Its been a long project. Longer than our usual food truck builds, but hey, its a lot bigger than our usual food trucks.
Our ex USA fire truck is almost ready for launch. We are trying it out at one of our regular jobs soon, and then might have some exciting news about a possible tour in conjunction with a quirky restaurant chain.
The first of the major funfair holiday events has just kicked off.
Easter Eggs
Of course everyone is aware of the tradition of giving eggs for Easter. But have you ever thought why?
Easter is a Christian festival, and for Christians giving eggs symbolises new life. It is claimed this practice started with the early Christians of Mesopotamia who stained birds eggs red in memory of the blood of Christ.
There is also an association in Western Christians not being allowed to eat eggs during Lent, but allowed them at Easter.
A common practice in medieval England was for children to go door to door begging for eggs on the Saturday before Lent. These were handed out as special treats.
I remember during my youth going door to door. Many of the elder generation would give us hard boiled eggs that had been painted. The better of neighbours actually gave us chocolate. Many would also press a few coppers on us, when you were five or six years old, the few pounds you accrued made you think you were rich.
Antiquity
It wasn’t an exclusively Christian thing though. London’s British Museum contains some large ostrich eggs that have been carved and painted. These have been found in tombs. After investigation it is believed that eggs like this can date back up to 5000 years, well before the Christian religion. And decorated eggs up to 60,000 years old have been discovered in Africa.
Chocolate Eggs
J.S. Fry and sons of England introduced their first chocolate egg in 1873, closely followed by Cadbury’s in 1875. Cadbury’s created the modern egg with the introduction of pure cocoa butter that could be moulded into hollow egg shapes. Now up to 80 million chocolate eggs are consumed in the UK alone. It’s nice to see the steady move away from plastic packaging to more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Faberge Eggs
Personally my favourite eggs are those produced by the Russian craftsman at Faberge for the last two Russian Tsars. Masterpieces of decorative art, many contain hidden surprises such as clockwork birds or miniature toys.
International Waffle Day: A Global Celebration of Fluffy Delights
March 25th is a day that brings joy to breakfast lovers around the world – International Waffle Day. This delightful holiday celebrates the beloved waffle in all its crispy, golden glory. From classic Belgian waffles to creative interpretations from every corner of the globe, International Waffle Day is a time to indulge in one of the most versatile and delicious breakfast foods known to humanity.
Embracing Waffles Across Cultures: What makes International Waffle Day truly special is its celebration of waffles in all their diverse forms. While the waffle may have originated in Europe, its popularity has spread far and wide, with each culture adding its own unique twist to this beloved treat. From the sweet, syrup-drenched waffles of North America to the savory gaufres enjoyed in France, waffles come in countless variations, each more delicious than the last.
A Rich History: The history of the waffle is as rich and varied as its toppings. Waffles have been enjoyed by people around the world for centuries, with evidence of their existence dating back to ancient Greece. Over the years, waffle-making techniques have evolved, leading to the creation of different styles and varieties of waffles. Today, waffles are enjoyed by millions of people worldwide, making International Waffle Day a truly global celebration.
Waffles Unite Us: One of the most beautiful things about International Waffle Day is its ability to bring people together. Whether you’re sharing a plate of waffles with friends and family at home or indulging in a delicious waffle breakfast at your favorite cafe, there’s something special about coming together to enjoy this beloved breakfast treat. Waffles have a way of transcending cultural boundaries and uniting people from all walks of life in a shared appreciation for good food and good company.
Celebrating International Waffle Day: There are countless ways to celebrate International Waffle Day, no matter where you are in the world. You could start your day with a stack of classic buttermilk waffles topped with fresh berries and whipped cream, or you could get creative in the kitchen and experiment with new and exciting waffle recipes. Whether you prefer sweet or savory, there’s a waffle out there to satisfy every craving.
Spread the Waffle Love: International Waffle Day is also a great opportunity to spread the love by sharing waffles with others. Host a waffle brunch for your friends and family, organize a waffle-making competition with your coworkers, or simply surprise a loved one with a homemade batch of waffles. However you choose to celebrate, sharing the joy of waffles with others is sure to make International Waffle Day a day to remember.
In Conclusion: International Waffle Day is a time to celebrate one of the world’s most beloved breakfast foods in all its delicious glory. Whether you prefer your waffles sweet or savory, crispy or fluffy, there’s no denying the universal appeal of this humble yet oh-so-delicious treat. So grab your waffle iron, whip up a batch of batter, and join people around the world in celebrating International Waffle Day in style.
We have just finished a complete refurbishment and overhaul of one of our compact generator systems. TBF, this one is a bit special, in that it was gifted to me by my late Father in Law. I wanted to keep it working as it provides a connection to him. It has actually turned out a bit like Triggers broom in Only Fools and Horses. It has had a new cabinet, radiator, alternator and control systems. If the engine blows then there really isn’t much left of the original.
We actually ended up using this one much more than we expected, due to its low running costs, making it perfect for smaller events such as a coffee cart hire, etc.
What happened was the unit we were using was designed to demount from its transport trailer into the back of one of our vans. This worked great, up until the original casing fell apart due to corrosion. Being a Kubota engine there was plenty of life left in the actual unit itself.
The Original Rotted Apart Casing
It was built on four castors, up until one corner fell off and it came back on three wheels. Luckily whilst obtaining a new generator to build into the rear of our fire engine, we noticed that the dealer we were dealing with had a large supply of new cases for compact generators.
We obtained one of these, which were priced at a really keen price point, and set about the construction. The cases were pretty complete except for things like control panels, door locks, etc. We managed to track these down, with a delay on waiting for a delivery from China for some parts unobtainable over here.
The Final Construction
The unit when it was constructed looked superb. Unfortunately following the advice of some experts to bond the Earth line to the Neutral, a requirement in most generators, the unit went bang. Seems that on centre tapped alternators this is a big no no.
So back to our supplier for a new alternator. Unfortunately when we removed the case to wire the new one up, we found that it also was a centre tapped alternator. Cue another trip up north to obtain a non centre tapped version.
So far so good. Except when we came to assemble it, the coupling system didn’t meet up. Seems our original unit had a recessed flywheel, which left the tapered shaft mount about 5 mmm short.
Cue yet another trip to swap flywheels for the correct one. This one happily did fit, and everything went together perfectly.
Well almost. Whilst screwing in the Earth point connection, the end fell off my screwdriver, and into the alternator internals. Meaning another complete strip down of the cabinet, to then strip the alternator down to retrieve said fallen off bit.
Happily this time everything did go together properly. We dropped the unit onto its original trailer, necessitating a few minor alterations to the fastening system and Bob’s your Uncle.
We are fast approaching pancake day, or Shrove Tuesday as the more religious would have it. We are now undergoing our annual avalanche of last minute enquiries for a pancake or mobile crepe cart . Companies suddenly decide that it would make a good treat for their staff. Problem is they seem to come to this conclusion about a week before the actual day. The smart companies have already booked up all of our crepe carts a couple of months in front.
Delicious Hot Fresh French Crepes
French Crepes
Truth be told we provide crepes rather than pancakes. Whats the difference I hear you ask? Basically just the consistency. Crepes are much thinner than the traditional British pancake. Legend claims that a good French crepe is sos thin, you can read a love letter placed underneath it. The actual ingredients we use are virtually identical except for the crepe having more water, to make it thinner
Originating from the Brittany region in North West France, crepes are now considered a national dish, though most countries have similar dishes with a variety of names. There is a tale that a housewife in Brittany accidentally spilled some thin porridge on a hot flat stove and through this mistake the crispy pancake was invented, could it be true? Possibly, many other foods have been discovered by accident.
Jour Des Crepes
So popular are these crispy delights in France, that they have a religious holiday named in their favour. Also known as La Chandeleur (The return of light), it symbolises the approach of Spring.
Yet another legend (gee just how many legends are there about crepes) has it that if you toss a crepe from a pan, with your right hand, catching it whilst holding a coin in your left, you would become rich that year
A “Galettes ” or Savoury Crepe
Although it is the sweet dessert crepe that most of us are familiar with, there is also the Galette, which is made with a less sweet mix, and meant to be served with cheese, meats, mushrooms etc, to make a filling savoury meal.
To be honest we all prefer the sweet version in the office, and this outsells the savoury probably 99 to 1.
The world is currently in a state. The Middle East is in the middle of one of its endless cycles of violence. Russia and Ukraine are still going at it hammer and tongs. The Houthis are trying their best to sink any passing ships. The economy is in the doldrums. Prices are up, fuel is up, food is up. Middlesbrough don’t look like achieving promotion this year.
And now, PETA the animal rights organisation is calling upon Carousel manufacturers to stop using fibreglass horses on their rides, as evidently “Animal-themed carousels unintentionally celebrate the exploitation of sentient beings,”
FFS, just when you think people cannot be any more crackers than some of the fruit loop examples we have seen popping up over the last few years, we have this. What’s next, an amnesty for little girls to hand in their My Little Pony Dolls. Perhaps stuffed teddy bears will be in their sights, I mean, all that cruel exploitation of the poor little stuffed dears.
More worrying is the fact that going by some of PETA’s past campaigns, the said little girls might find themselves being smacked in the mouth by tofu pies. Or even being drenched in paint! Perhaps they will skin the carousel horses and hold the bodies up, presumably dripping in resin.
What about your local funfair. You might turn up to find that PETA have descended through the night and released all the carousel horses. Bit far fetched? No more than the bloody stupidity emanating from PETA.
Dinner In The Sky, another in our series looking at some of the more unusual eating establishments around the globe. This one is different because it is situated around 150 feet in the sky!
This one is present in around 60 countries. Starting in Belgian in 2007, David Ghysels who owned a marketing company and Stefan Kerkhofs, a bungee jump organiser partnered to create an aerial based dinner for the Jeunes Restaurateurs d’Europe association.
This led to them being contacted by people from around the world who wanted to replicate the experience. They decided to go down the franchise route.
By 2009 Dinner In The Sky they were operating in more than a dozen countries including China and Canada.
Permanent Location
Michael and Janeen Hinden discovered the concept at a trade fair in 2008. They tested the concept at a New Years party, and eventually put the plans in motion for a permanent location in Las Vegas. Costing $4 million the location was to have a ground based restaurant as well as the high flying set up.
We can take to new heights with our gourmet catering options, but admittedly not 150ft dinner in the sky.
As part of our ongoing efforts to expand our services, especially for larger events. We have added a new Spanish Churros unit.
In the past we have added churros making equipment to various of our existing catering units. This one has been purpose built especially for high volume events, although it will work just as well at a wedding or smaller event.
High Capacity Churros Making Kit
To partner with our new unit, we selected a range of kit from J L Blanco, one of Spain’s leading manufacturers of churros making equipment.
High yield circular fryers were added in both electric and gas versions, allowing us the ability to operate with low power generators where necessary, or utilise the higher throughput of the electric fryer when adequate power is avialable.
Electric Churros Fryer
Automatic Churros Dispenser
To partner with the fryer we selected a fully automatic dough dispenser. This dispenses, measures and cuts the extruded dough to the correct length, dropping a pre selected number of churros into the fryer at the touch of a button giving our churros box a super high yield potential.
Automatic Churros Dispenser
Of course knowing the propensity of electronics to cease working at the most inconvenient of times, we also added a manual dispenser, allowing us to do it the old fashioned way.
Manual Dispenser
Birmingham Cathedral Market
The first outing for the new churros box was the cathedral Christmas market in Birmingham. A 5 week stint serving churros at the festive event proved the units worth.
Although the unit is perfectly at home with smaller events, it is designed primarily for larger events and festival, where it can operate constantly at high speed for hours on end. If you are planning a major event, or just have a lot of hungry guests then this is the way to go.
