Hog Roast Barrowford – Retirement Bash at the Lamb Club
Today we were over in Barrowford, just at the end of the M65, for a ‘retirement do’, this time set at the Lamb Club garden just off the main village on Church Street. It’s always nice working in Barrowford, it’s got a slightly different feel to some of the surrounding towns, a bit more polished in places, but still very relaxed when it comes to events. Some lovely shops, some out of our price range, such as Scruples. A fantastic designer clothes shop.
This one was for Bob’s retirement do, recently retired from the aerospace company that is Rolls-Royce. We were booked to cater for 70 guests with a serve time of 8 pm. A really good mix of family, friends and work colleagues. Exactly the sort of setup that works perfectly for a hog roast.
SETTING UP AND GETTING READY
We arrived a couple of hours before service, just after 6:00 pm, and got set up straight away. Access was nice and easy, and within 15–20 minutes, everything was up and running. It’s never a long setup, unless of course, we can’t park close to the setup spot. To be honest, this doesn’t happen too often, but when it does, it’s no real issue. Just a bit of harder work. It’s something people always comment on, how quickly we get sorted, but after doing this for years, it just becomes second nature. There also amazed at how such a setup comes from a small van. We use a Vito on most events, and it really does surprise people just what comes out of it!
The drinks were just starting to flow when we arrived, and you could tell straight away it was going to be a good one. Music on, people chatting, kids running about, a proper club, and a great atmosphere was building.
As usual, we had the vapers walking across straight away, inspecting the hog. Taking photos and asking the all the questions:
“How long has that been cooking?”
“What time are we eating?”
“Can we have a bit of crackling?”
It’s all part of it, and people genuinely enjoy seeing it there cooking away rather than it just appearing from a kitchen. The questions never fail to make us laugh. How long has it been cooking is often met with the answer, 30 minutes, we have a huge microwave. It’s quite funny how many people actually believe us!
Serve time came around, and we got straight into it. Fresh rolls, sage and onion stuffing, warm apple sauce and our Jack Daniel’s BBQ sauces all being thrown into the fresh bread rolls. Baked on the morning at the not-so-far-away Bertwistles Bakery in Padiham, just down the Padiham bypass. The crackling, as usual, disappeared almost instantly. There are always a few that try their luck before we even start serving properly. We never refuse. Help yourself is our answer when they inquire about having a few pieces before the serving time.
One thing that stood out at this event was how many people came back for seconds. It’s always a good sign when you see the same faces coming back around again.
The apple sauce went down particularly well at this one. Served warm with the pork and stuffing, it just brings everything together. It’s one of those small details that people always comment on. People know it’s homemade. Let’s be honest, that shop-bought stuff is pretty easy to spot!
A GREAT NIGHT IN BARROWFORD
The atmosphere throughout was really good. Plenty of laughs, lots of banter flying around, and just a really easy-going crowd. These are the types of events that make the job what it is.
We had everyone served within around 40 minutes, and with it being a straightforward hog roast setup, pack down was quick and easy. We were all wrapped up and away just before 10 pm.
We’ve covered quite a few events in Barrowford over the years, along with nearby areas like Nelson, Colne and Fence, and it’s always the same, good honest people, brilliant atmospheres, all in all just super places for us to ply our trade.
So again, a great night. Proper relaxed setup, plenty of food, and a crowd that made it enjoyable from start to finish.
All the best, Bob. We hope you have a very happy retirement. You can find more of our work over on the homepage