Tag: catering

Catering, Event Planning, Fun Story, funfair events

Hey, Do You Know This About French Fries

9 March 2021

The humble potato. Cultivated in the America’s around 10,000 years ago, then brought to Europe in the 16th century by the Spanish. One of the most versatile foods available. Can be served boiled, roasted, mashed, or as is the case here, as French Fries.

In these fair isles we more commonly refer to them as chips, rather that the Yankee ‘fries’. This evidently dates back to 1769 and actually referred to fruit chips. To further confuse the matter, our American brethren, call crisps, chips.

They can be crisp, or soft, indeed the British traditionally eat them soggy with vinegar and wrapped in old newspaper.

The Variety Of Potato We Use

The idaho Russet Burbank is commonly used by fast food chains. Developed by Luther Burbank, a plant breeder. Initially unpopular, growers cottoned on to the fact that it produced large potatoes that could be marketed as baking potatoes. Then the explosion of fast food chains further increased its use.

The Best Fries Are Fried Twice

The potato is cut into strips. Traditionally it was peeled first, but now is often enjoyed unpeeled as this retains beneficial vitamins. Soaking in water removes the surface starch. Missing this step will result in a soggy, mushy chip due to the starch blocking the evaporation of moisture from the vegetable.

The best results are obtained using the two bath method. First they are blanched by being submerged in hot fat at 160C. Then briefly fried in hotter fat at 190C, to crisp them. They are drained ,salted and served.

Vegetable oil is used for frying, though originally beef suet or as one fabulous chip shop in Yorkshire still uses, beef dripping. Indeed if you are ever in the vicinity of Sturgate airfield it is well worth a visit. In fact, you can fly into Sturgate airstrip and visit the chippie.

Five Guys just had to be different, they fry theirs in peanut oil.

French Fries Might Not Be French

The French, Belgians and Spanish all claim the invention of French Fries. Though no one really knows the truth. The French claim is that they originated from street vendors in the vicinity of the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris.

The Spanish were the first to bring them into Europe so claim they also invented chips.

And the Belgian claim is that they are quite close to France and people confused their invention with a French one. In fact, they are so upset by France claiming them, that they have petitioned UNESCO to claim official heritage status for ‘their’ dish of fries and mayo.

French Flag
French Flag

Thomas Jefferson Introduced Them To America

President Jefferson worked abroad as American Minister to France. Whilst their he sampled the delights of the culinary masterpiece. When he returned home and became President, his chef James Hemings continued to cook them for him.

A Typical American Eats 30 Pounds A Year In Fries

Think about that. That’s the weight of a small child. Your gonna need a hell of a lot of ketchup to go with that. Look guys we all love fries, but 30lb seriously?

Charles Dickens Wrote About Fries

Yup, one of history’s most celebrated authors actually alluded to fries in his novel, ‘A Tale Of Two Cities’. He called them husky chips of potato, fried with some reluctant drops of oil. TBF he also wrote about dozens of breakfast foods, dinners and pints of beer. Turns out he was a bit of a foodie at heart.

Fries Are Little Kids Favourite Vegetables.

A study by the Journal of Nutrition found they were the most commonly consumed vegetable for young children. A published study by the way. I mean, you needed to waste ink and paper to discover this, come on guys. A Sunderland fan who wasn’t in possession of the communal brain cell could have told you this without wasting energy on research.

Kid Eating Fries
Kid Eating Fries

They Are Actually Healthier Than You Think

No, we aren’t saying they are healthy compared to say a salad or something. But being a potato, they actually include vitamins B6,C, magnesium and iron. So they do have some nutritional benefits.

Congress Changed The Name To Freedom Fries.

When the operation to invade Iraq was being planned. France refused to join in. Probably on account of not being allowed to be in charge.

Jed Babbin, a former deputy undersecretary of defense stated that going to war without the French, would be like going hunting without an accordian. You are just leaving a lot of noisy useless baggage behind!

To further underscore their displeasure. Congress changed the name on their in house menu’s to freedom fries, and dropped the French from the name. They would have liked to have rolled this change out across the States, but as the war fell out of favour, so did the name.

It was quietly changed back in 2006.

Freedom Fries
Freedom Fries

Burn Those Calories Baby

A medium portion of McDonalds French fries would require 47 minutes of high impact aerobics or 58 minutes of cycling to burn off. One ‘professor’ suggested that a proper portion of fries should be around six. Really, just six fries, just goes to prove what planet professors are living on.

For the 224 calories you are consuming you could also have 1.4kg of celery, 385g of apples, 588g of broccoli, 102g of canned tuna or 3 boiled eggs or a 51g piece of cheese.

Nah, we’ll stick with the fries.

Thick Or Thin

Traditional British ‘chips’ or what some called steak cut fries are actually a healthier option compared to the skinny fries typical of a fast food joint. The greater the surface area of a chip, the more oil is absorbed. So weight for weight, skinny fries have much greater surface area, therefore they will be higher in calories and fat.

Fries Aren’t Just Fries

There are actually something like about 18 different types of fries. From the thick cut steak chips, to curly fries, tornado fries, waffle fries and more.

Some People Put Sugar On Their Fries

Different nationalities eat their fries in different ways. In Vietnam they sprinkle them with sugar. The Belgians and Dutch slather mayo on. Americans love their Ketchup. The South Korean’s add honey and butter (really).

Personally we think nothing beats good old salt and vinegar.

Fries Have Been Tested For Use In Space

E.S.A., the European Space Agency teamed up with Greek researchers to test making fries in a centrifuge. What they discovered was that as gravity increases, the fries get crisper. In fact perfect fries would need gravity three times that of Earth.

Sadly the microgravity found in space means they would be a soggy mess, so no fries on that trip to Mars unfortunately.

If you are planning an event, we can offer you both French fries, and dirty fries. Or even spiral fries.

Resources;

Freedom Fries

Fries In Space

Fun Story

St Valentines Day Customs Around The World

14 February 2021

14th February, St Valentines day, the day for lovers, young and old, chocolate and roses and cheesy cards.

Reputed to have begun in ancient Rome around 496AD with the festival of Lupercalia held in mid February. Girls and boys drew names from a box and would become girlfriend and boyfriend for the duration of the festival.

Of course the church hijacked it later on, and used it to celebrate St Valentine. A Roman Priest executed for refusing to deny Christ and associated with courtly love.

Being UK based we usually think of a dozen red roses and chocolates or champagne. Along with a card extolling our feelings of love. But how do other countries celebrate it?

Japan

Being Japanese, they tend to complicate it as usual. On the 14th girls give chocolates. However they do this in two ways. The first is called giri-choco and are pre made chocolates. These will be given to friends, family, perhaps work colleagues. Men they don’t love romantically. The second type are Honmei-choco, being either more expensive, or traditionally hand made by the girl. Given to their partners, boyfriends, lovers etc.

Traditionally men would only accept these from girl they were interested in.

On 14th March the menfolk would return the gesture three fold on what is called white day.

South Korea

The south Koreans, follow pretty much the same pattern as the Japanese. However, on the month after white day, they have an additional celebration called Black day. This is for all those unfortunate enough not to have received gifts on the other days. They get together and eat black noodles.

Philippines

The Filipino’s celebrate in much the same ways as in the West. However, there is also an added incentive for lovers on the 14th. Many municipalities provide free weddings on the day. The cakes, flowers, venue, banquet and even the rings are all provided free of charge. This leads to mass weddings around the country on St Valentines day.

Norway

Or Valentinsdag in Norwegian. Much like the UK, with meals, roses, lingerie and so on. They do have one old belief that birds mated on this day to bear their offspring. And it’s now believed that seeing birds mate is a sign of true love. TBH I don’t think I have ever seen birds mating. In fact I am not sure I would recognise what they were doing if I did, assuming the tradition refers to the feathered kind.

Sweden

Alla hjärtans dag, or All Hearts Day as our Swedish cousins refer to it. They prefer jellied candies and pastries to our traditional chocolates. It has only been an occasion in Sweden since the 60’s, so it isn’t as widely celebrated as in other countries.

Denmark

Our Danish friends have a tradition called Gækkebreve , or Snowdrop letter. They send the object of the affection a letter, but sign it with a series of dots for their name. The receiver must try and work out who it is from, and if they get it correct are rewarded with an Easter egg on Easter Sunday.

France

Hmm, an unusual custom and not exactly the height of chivalry. French singletons would call out to each other across the street to be paired up. But if the mane didn’t quite fancy the woman he was allowed to reject her and try again. The sadly outed woman would gather together to burn photos and other reminders of the suitors who had given them the thumbs down, as a sort of group ‘therapy’. Eventually the government banned the practise. No doubt some woman felt better burning the real item rather than the photo.

This early form of speed dating was christened “une loterie d’amour”, the lottery of love.

Wales

The Welsh evidentially, don’t traditionally go in for St Valentine. Their nearest version is Saint Dwynwen’s day on 25th January. Here the men present a gift of a wooden spoon to their love interest. Various symbols and patterns with special meanings were carved into the spoon. A strange custom when presenting a wooden spoon elsewhere usually has negative connotations.

Argentina

Those randy Latinos can’t manage with just the one day. They drag it out a whole week, starting on 13th and running to the 20th, sweetness week encourages the swapping of kisses for candy. The week ends with friendship day so no one is left out.

South Africa

The Springboks mirror the UK with a lot of the Valentine celebrations. However they do also follow in the footsteps of the original Roman celebration by pinning the names of their lovers on to their sleeves. Luckily they don’t follow the original rules to closely, as the Romans would sacrifice goats, then run through the streets naked, whipping the women folk to increase their fertility.

Most of the countries around the world have adopted the Western celebration of St Valentines day, with flower giving, chocolate and other gifts. Some Islamic countries are rather hostile to the holiday, and some outright ban it.

If you want a Valentine treat for your staff, a party or even as a private service for your loved one, many of our treats such as Churros, Valentine crepes, doughnuts can be made with a pink dough to suit the occasion, or we can supply melted pink chocolate as a topping.

Catering, Event Planning, funfair events

6 Top Gourmet Hot Dogs

27 December 2020

We upgraded our hot dog service from regular (boring) ole weiners, to rip roaring gourmet hot dogs. With a range of fun, quirky and delicious toppings. Settling on our final ‘Standard’ menu, we went through a number of trial dogs. Some of our favourites are listed here. Some made the cut some didn’t but all are available on request for your event.

Tex-Mex Dog

Start with a standard frankfurter. Add a layer of nacho cheese sauce, red jalapeno peppers, sliced of course, and garnished with onions and nachos. Big enough to fill a Texican, well some of them.

Chilli Dog

An old favourite this one, a broiled frank, slathered in quality beef chilli, topped with red peppers and garnished with grated cheese.

The John Wayne

Named after our favourite cowboy, well, there are one or two in the fairground industry we like, but you probably won’t know them. A broiled weiner chopped into sections, slathered in baked beans, garnished with peppers, then finished with your choice of condiments.

Dutch Dog

From the land of windmills, clogs, very tall people and erm, slightly dodgy brownies. Ie Holland, or the Netherlands home of the Dutch. Gee it must be awfully cramped over there with 3 lots all living in the same place. This one is a regular frankfurter. Dressed with a mixture of peppers and chopped onions, marinated in mayonnaise. Garnished with poffertjes, those little tiny Dutch pancakes to finish.

The Samurai

From the land of the rising sun, samurais and cooking that can kill you like the puffer fish. Take a frankfurter, place it on a bed of sushi, which contrary to popular belief, isn’t raw fish, its actually vinegar pickled rice. Add a few slices of fish, and garnish with wasabi and soy sauce.

The Floss Dog

Personally I wanted to call this the vomit dog, but I was voted down as it turns out some people actually like it, weirdo’s! One of our finest frankfurters, placed on a bed of bloody candy floss, drizzled with chocolate sauce, I mean chocolate on a hot dog. Then topped with sugar sprinkles. Makes you wanna throw up.

Anyway we have loads of new ideas, so gourmet hot dogs is definitely something we will be expanding in the future.

If you fancy hot dog cart hire without the floss version get in touch.

Catering, Event Planning

3 Christmas Treats For Your Events

5 November 2020
Mulled Wine Cart For Hire

With the Christmas party season rapidly approaching, here are some of our best Christmas treats for your events.

Hot Roast Chestnut Cart

Hot chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Memories of childhood, when Britannia ruled the waves, politicians were honest and kids respected their elders. Well perhaps not that far back, and I doubt politicians were ever honest. But the aroma of freshly roasting chestnuts is still a memory of Christmas in many parts of the country. Available on a range of carts for both indoor and outdoor use.

Chestnut Cart For Hire
Chestnut Cart For Hire

Spicy Mulled Wine

The perfect complement to chestnuts, hot spicy wine. Originally adding spices and heating the wine was a way to keep drinking wine that had spoiled, to save wasting it. But over the years it has become a classic favourite at Christmas time. Known in other countries as Glögg and gluhwein, this is the perfect reception drink for those cold winter months. We can also provide a fabulous non alcoholic version.

Mulled Wine Cart Hire For Weddings And Events
Mulled Wine Cart Hire For Weddings And Events

Minced Pies

A great accompaniment to mulled wine, the classic mince pie. Ever so funny when foreign guests are present as they try to reconcile Christmas with eating a pie full of minced meat. We have provided a mixed mulled wine and minced pies cart to many shopping centres and indeed supermarkets such as Tesco’s.

We have a selection of stalls available for chestnuts or mulled wine, from our classic engine cart, to the rustic bar we use for the Mailbox Shopping Centre In Birmingham.

Whichever Christmas treats you choose for your events, they are sure to be a hit with your guests on.

Catering, Fun Story

10 Facts About Chocolate

26 October 2020

With a scientific name translating as ‘Food Of The Gods’, having been eaten for centuries and a taste loved by most people, chocolate is actually a fascinating substance.

1 Its First Shipment Was Mistaken For Sheep Poo

We might well have enjoyed the delights of chocolate earlier in this country, if it wasn’t for a case of mistaken identity. A Spanish shipment of goods was seized off the coast in the 16th century. But when they opened the sacks of cocoa beans they were mistaken for sheep poo and destroyed.

2 Chocolate, Along With Coffee, Was Once Associated With Rebellion

King Charles felt threatened by the coffee and chocolate shops in 1660’s England. It had became a drink of the intellectuals and radicals, and he felt they would be meeting to plan subversion. Spain and France didn’t have this problem as there it was reserved as a drink for the privileged.

The insurance house Lloyd’s of London, actually started in a coffee shop.

3 Many Of Our Favourite Chocolate Bars Are 100 Years Old

Cadbury’s Flake, Fruit and Nut, and the crunchy bar date from the 1920’s. Mars Bar, Milky Way, KitKat, Maltesers, Aero and Smarties from the 1930’s. This was the golden era of chocolate creativity.

An interesting fact, is that the much loved Cadbury’s Cream egg, was actually a J.S. Fry’s product. It wasn’t branded Cadbury until much later.

4 Chocolate Consumption Dates Back 5000 Years

Archaeological evidence suggests that people from the Mayo-Chinchipe civilisation were ingestion cacao based products some 3000 years B.C. The Maya poeple were evidently consuming it as a drink between 250 and 850A.D. And it was very popular with the legendary Aztecs.

I suppose it was their version of quaffing champagne whilst on a day out at the races. A good cup of cocoa and a few human hearts being cut out.

5 White Chocolate Was Actually A Children’s Medicine

In Switzerland in the 1930’s, doctors tried to improve the health of young patients by giving them vitamin enriched milk. But the older kids thought milk babyish. The addition of cocoa butter resulted in the accidental invention of white chocolate.

6 The Claim That Chocolate Is An Aphrodisiac Is False

Damn, I always liked this one.

The Aztecs may have been the first on record to draw a link between the cocoa bean and an increase in sexual desire. Montezuma was reputed to have consumed the bean in large amounts to fuel his romantic trysts.

There are actually two chemicals in chocolate that do have an effect on sexual desire, tryptophan and phenylethylamine. The first is a building block of serotonin that sexual arousal chemical. The second a stimulant released when people fall in love.

Sadly scientists reckon that the amount in chocolate is so low as to have no discernible impact.

7 The Largest Cup Of Hot Chocolate Ever Made Was 1059.4 Gallons

It was produced to celebrate Three Kings Day and was achieved by the Municipio de Uruapan (Mexico), in Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico. It contained 600kg of locally grown chocolate.

I bet that had enough tryptophan in to gets things rising.

8 The Most Expensive Chocolate Dessert

The Frrrozen Haute Chocolate, which costs an eye watering £12,000, was added to the menu New Yorks Serendipity 3 restaurant. Made in partnership with a luxury jeweller, the sundae uses a fine blend of 28 cocoas. Including 14 of the world’s most expensive. It is then decorated with 5 g of edible 23-carat gold, served in a goblet lined with edible gold. The base of the goblet is an 18-carat gold bracelet with 1 carat of white diamonds.

The dessert is eaten with a gold and diamond spoon, which they graciously allow you to take home.

I should bloody well think they do at the price of a small car. I would want to be spoon fed it by Heidi Klum for that price.

9 Melts In The Mouth

Chocolate is the only edible substance to melt around 32°C , just below normal human body temperature. That’s the reason chocolate melts in your mouth.

The scientific name given to the tree that chocolate comes from is Theobroma cacao, means “food of the gods.”

The smell of chocolate supposedly increases theta brain waves, which triggers relaxation.

Chocolate has over 600 flavor compounds, while red wine has 200, it is actually quite a complex substance.

It takes approximately 400 beans to make a single pound of chocolate.

10 We Offer A Range Of Hot Chocolate Carts For Your Event

From our Victorian themed wedding carts, to a horse box for those outdoor events, you can have a range of themed offerings. All with our range of delicious drinking chocolate. Choose from everyone’s favourite Cadbury’s to the upmarket Charbonnel Et Walker.

All served with cream, marshmallows, sprinkles and a range of syrups to add extra flavour.

Catering, Event Planning, funfair events

Superflora Event

21 September 2020

As the full effects of the ‘Rona’ started to become apparent, we pretty much decided to write 2020 off, and expect to lose a god chunk of 2021. August surprised us when out of nowhere we suddenly picked up a number of bookings, about 12 in total. Well down on the usual 60 or so w would do that month, but still a nice surprise.

Sadly we were excited for all of a week, by which time we started losing events, ending up back down to 5, as they were steadily cancelled. Oh well, thats 5 more than we had expected.

One event which did actually take place was a closing down party for Superflora. Part of a giant Dutch conglomerate, the factory at Holbeach in Lincolnshire was closing and production being moved to Hull. Quite possibly to take advantage of the Hull-Rotterdam ferry services, seeing as the business brought flowers from Holland to be repackaged for sale in garages, supermarkets etc.

Catering Lines

They were very keen to have a selection of catering options, so after a bit of discussion we settled upon mini doughnuts, French fries, candy floss and popcorn, churros and frankfurters. Catering for 200 to allow plenty of spare if necessary.

Personalisation

Playing around with our branding tools we supplied personalised napkins, little flags in the doughnuts and branded each cart front up.

Thrill Rides

They also wanted some traditional funfair rides, so we supplied a nice dodgem track and twister thrill ride.

Covid Secure

Like all events at the moment we took great care with our covid precautions. The catering units all had full length sneeze guards. Our staff treated the surfaces and touch points with Zoono 30 day anti microbial. Hand sanitisation stations were provided at each attraction.

The event went off without a hitch. Becoming however rather poignant. Many of the staff breaking in down in tears as it drew to a close, some of them had been there 15 years. Their friendship circles and daily lives being built around it. It’s also not the best time to be looking for a new job, with the virus and all.

Catering

Milkshakes Galore

13 September 2020
Hire Luxury Milk Shake Carts

The term Milkshake was first created in the 1880’s. They started out as an alcoholic beverage, similar to an eggnog type of drink with added whisky to the mix, this was served as both a treat and a strong adult tonic! Not quite the child friendly Milkshakes Galore we’re used to from McDonalds.

By the 1900’s milkshakes were being made the way we know today, a wholesome calcium drink with added chocolate, strawberry or vanilla syrups. People then started having the dessert drink with a side of added ice cream, and fast forward to 1930’s the drink was the ‘in thing’ to the students of the day and the milkshake galore era took off.

Mega Galore Milkshakes

Milkshakes are a very popular drink bursting with flavour. Many dessert places have now created fancy Mega Milkshakes . Full of chocolate bars and whipped cream, and other high calorie additions. I have to say it’s a lovely dessert but oh so many calories. Many popular flavors incorporate other desserts such as bananas, donuts and waffles a far cry from the first eggnog alcohol versions of condensed milk drinks.

Happily, our milkshakes are a fabulous treat, but far healthier than these mega shakes.

When making our milkshakes we use ice cold milk, a dollop or two of ice cream. Blended with flavored powder and a selection of treats such as a skittles, Oreo, twixs, areos and so much more!. Our blenders create the perfect texture without loosing the thick taste of an iconic milkshake.

Catering, Event Planning, funfair events, Funfair Rides, General

Back In The Saddle, The New Normal

28 August 2020

Like most of the rest of the events industry, our previously full order book for 2020 disappeared literally overnight due to the pesky little microbe doing the rounds. Like all of our compatriots in the industry we sat and wondered if we would ever work again, and if so when. So when we suddenly started picking up bookings for August it was both a godsend and a worry.

A godsend obviously as we would be earning again. A worry about how things were going to be under the ‘new normal’ as it is being called. The first of the jobs to arrive was for a previously regular client, Amazon. Usually through the year we do a mixture of work ranging from handing out catering goodies during Prime and peak periods, to providing a full fairground for their summer barbeque.

The first job was giving popcorn out at one of the Northern fulfillment centres. We had done the same thing a number of times over the years at the same centre so usually this would be a nice easy repeat job. However after talking with the client and doing our own research we put together a package of anti Covid-19 measures.

Catering Carts

Covid-19 Screening

The first change was to install clear polycarbonate screening on the carts we use to separate our staff from the guests. Although we could still interact with them to a degree, it did feel weird and somehow strangely disconnecting. Usually we engage in a bit of banter and joking, but this felt more ‘institutionalised.’

Zoono Anti Microbial

After researching most of the sanitisation options, we settled on Zoono. Not a cheap option, this bonds a film to the surface of whatever you spray it on that lasts for upto 30 days. The product actively kills virus molecules after application, rather than just during the cleaning process. For complete safety our standard operating procedure is to apply it at the start of each job. We also use their hand sanitiser, which creates a similar barrier on your hands, this time lasting for 24 hours.

Boris Says, Hands – Face – Space

The carts have a hand sanitiser mounted for the guests to use. We also built a number of portable units that can attach to hand rails, counters, carts, rides etc. This means that even when we are using sub contractors we can ensure that all the attractions we supply come with approved sanitisation facilities for the guests and staff.

To round off our anti Covid activities, we supply all of our staff with full face shields to help protect them and the guests from each other. These are far more comfortable to wear for extended periods of working than the little face masks that we tried. Well and truly back in the saddle

Catering, Fun Story

Twisted Firestarter, Tales Of Misadventures

18 August 2020

A few years ago I bought an impressive ornate drinks fountain from a guy in Norfolk. I went down in person to pick it up. After I had loaded it in my van I got talking to him and he suddenly burst into tears. Now comforting heartbroken men isn’t really my forte. But eventually through his sobs I made out that his wife was having an affair, and that she had left him with his four kids.

I was by this point looking for an exit strategy as I had a long drive home. I did however pause when he told me he wanted to sell the rest of the business, which consisted of two chocolate fountains, a popcorn machine, a large number of chair covers, and a large number of bookings.

“Oh I’ll keep my eye out on eBay for one of the fountains”I said.

“No, I want to sell the business as a going concern and I want £3000.”

“Done”, said I as I opened the back of the van to start loading my new business up.

I remember getting home and carrying everything into the kitchen. My wife came in and burst into tears looking at the mass of stuff.

The First Job

As we got used to operating the fountains, we eventually bought soup soup kettles, these were great for melting the chocolate, you could fill them up leave them on and they wouldn’t burn or thicken the chocolate too much. But on the first job we took a microwave to melt it in batches.

Anyway at the venue, the speeches etc were over running as these things tend to do. I was getting a bit anxious as never having done a chocolate fountain job before, I wanted the spare time in case of any problems. Eventually the manager told me I could set up. I whipped the fountain up in no time then started melting the chocolate.

As I finished the last batch I shoved the jug I had been using into the microwave. Unfortunately the jug still had a couple of napkins and a spoon in. As I closed the door the microwave sprang to life. I didn’t notice, but the spoon was creating sparks which set fire to the napkins.

Towering Inferno’s Little Brother

When I did notice, I grabbed it with the intention of running outside to dispose of it. As I picked it up and hugged it to myself, the hotel manager came into the room to talk to me about doing another event. So there I was stood, holding a sodding microwave that inside was rapidly turning into a mini towering inferno, whilst praying that smoke didn’t start coming out of the top whilst in front of the manager.

Eventually he finished and left me alone, I ran outside to empty the burning crap out only to see the entire wedding party stood outside whilst the main room was turned around.

FFS, I ended up opening the back of the van up and jumping in there, emptying the fire out on the floor and dancing around to stamp it out, a bit like the twisted firestarter song really.

I think time I stumbled out the van I was coughing from the smoke but otherwise fine. The manger and the guests never tumbled and we did a number of jobs in the same hotel.

The moral of the story is, its awfully easy to become the twisted firestarter, totally innocently lol.

Catering, Fun Story

National Hot Dog Day, How Do You Take It

23 July 2020
Hot Diggity Dog

Its 23rd July National Hot Dog Day. Hot diggety dog, or should we say dogs. That staple of fast food, beloved at stadiums around the world.

Our American cousins eat an estimated 20 billion a year. Whilst we don’t eat anywhere near that, they are an increasingly popular option on menu’s throughout the UK.

Frankfurt-am-Main in Germany is traditionally credited with originating the Frankfurter. Though this is in contention, by the claim that the “little-dog” sausage was invented by a certain Johann Georghehner, a butcher from Coberg in Germany. Whatever the true origin, in 1893 they became standard fare at baseball stadiums in the States. This tradition is believed to have been started by a St. Louis bar owner, Chris Von de Ahe, who was a German immigrant and owner of the St. Louis Browns major league baseball team.

The world’s biggest hot dog measured 669ft.

Hot Diggity Dog
Hot Diggity Dog

The New Gourmet Hot Dog Food

Like the humble burger before it, frankfurters are undergoing something of a Renaissance over here, being elevated to gourmet fare with upmarket ingredients and toppings.

We offer a range of hot dog cart hire for your events. With basic hot dogs, chilli dogs, and even the American corn dogs, which are basically hot dog sausages inside a waffle on a stick.

However you like your, happy national hot dog day!

American Catering Cart
American Catering Cart