Well an army may march on its stomach, but I can tell you so do we and shows are not the best for either good food or fine wine. Also the prices some caterers charge for second rate ingredients are going up and up. Now I understand they need to make money but rolls like cotton wool and tasteless burgers do nothing to attract me as a customer!
I have no idea why our food at events in the UK is so poor. I guess it may be us because we accept it. If you have ever been to any event in France, Spain or Italy you will know the difference in expectation.
The result for the staff at 1948 Original Equipment is that we have voted with our feet. We have purchased a trailer and converted it into our own mobile kitchen and bar. By doing this we can buy excellent local products, fresh and with taste, choose our own beers, wine & cider and cook everything just the way we like it. For years I have wanted to do this but having all the right equipment in one place and in a useable set-up has been my downfall. I love to cook - so have many different items I need around me. I take it as read that hobs, barbeque, pots and pans are all required. I like my own special cooking knives, various olive oils, nut oil, garlic, spices and herbs and the whole kitchen to boot. You can see my problem! - at a one day show tea, coffee, milk & sugar are needed as soon as we arrive, but on a three day stay-over I need the whole shooting match. It never happened - we always forgot something.
After much research the solution was simple - I needed to build a trailer at a reasonable price, not spend several thousand pounds on one of these specialist off-road camping gizmos. I sought out an old friend, Graham Holding, who many of you will know. Graham is famous for his vast array of military parts and equipment on sale at most Land Rover shows and equally famous for his flowing white hair and beard (he insists it is all natural). I left his emporium a very happy man having negotiated the purchase of a Military BDR trailer. For those of you not familiar with this it is basically a military trailer used I think as a mobile workshop. It has a very high centre and gull wing doors that open to form a perfect canopy.
It had its first outing at Billing with little modification and was just the trick. Some boxes from Anchor Supplies have fitted inside to form lockable storage and we are now well on the way to planning the full conversion. I expect, true to form, it will be work-in-progress for years to come, but in the meantime it will provide the team with fine dining at all future events. Come and see it at all the shows where you see 1948 Original Equipment. We may even offer you some excellent Herefordshire fare!