The Historic Breakfast (Circuit Catering) Thread.

[Colin McKay]

Dijon lunchtime must be the best in France - there was a GRANDE PROBLEME M'SIEU with scrutes over my roll cage which evaporated (the problem, not the roll cage) when it was pointed out that it was lunchtime. No idea what the food is like though.


Going back to the beginning, Mallory was always great. Turned up for breakfast at a track day many years ago but no-one had told the ladies there was an event on and the cafe was shut. They arrived very flustered but within 20 mins it was up and running and full English on the plates. Talk about fast food!

[abw]

I can't speak for breakfast, but I always looked forward to dinner in the Cadwell Clubhouse whenever I couldn't make it to the track until after work. Sadly they will never quite be the same: http://news.cadwellpark.co.uk/joan-tribute.aspx

[justracing]

Interesting reading that tribute and in particular JP's final words which echo everything I've always thought; despite his privileged position Mr Palmer is a very hands on CEO making sure he pays attention to every detail of the MSV operation. I'm not angling for a free pass next year(although I wouldn't turn it down!) but credit where credit's due. The turn around in circuit operation since MSV took control is quite astounding.

[Mike_Powell]

Don't know about the best food, but the worst has to be pre-reopening Goodwood - grey burgers that even the seagulls wouldn't eat, and half frozen & half burnt pies.

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by morninggents

Croix food was fantastic when we were there around the turn of the millenium. A real multi course dinner a l'auberge style laid on for competitors.


The toilets were another matter though!

The dinner is still possible & the toilets have been excellent for at least 15 years to my knowledge.

[Gerard C]

John, you mean fifteen minutes I suppose… Glad to hear you enjoyed the place morninggents, I agree with John those people always give a warm welcome.

Many tracks have been "offering" so poor quality food that several organisers like VdeV for instance have an agreement with dedicated caterers. Not always fantastic but convenient specially during the long distance races.

[bella]

Originally Posted by justracing

Interesting reading that tribute and in particular JP's final words which echo everything I've always thought; despite his privileged position Mr Palmer is a very hands on CEO making sure he pays attention to every detail of the MSV operation. I'm not angling for a free pass next year(although I wouldn't turn it down!) but credit where credit's due. The turn around in circuit operation since MSV took control is quite astounding.

fully agree with this post, although i only have one criticism and that’s the lack of staff at the circuits at the moment. they haven’t quite unfurloughed enough, and the folk that are back are having a proper time of it. it’s not fair on them.

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

John, you mean fifteen minutes I suppose… Glad to hear you enjoyed the place morninggents, I agree with John those people always give a warm welcome.

Many tracks have been "offering" so poor quality food that several organisers like VdeV for instance have an agreement with dedicated caterers. Not always fantastic but convenient specially during the long distance races.

No I don't Gerard. The paddock toilets now are very good & always clean. I'm sure Iain would agree.

[delta]

Originally Posted by Mike_Powell

Don't know about the best food, but the worst has to be pre-reopening Goodwood - grey burgers that even the seagulls wouldn't eat, and half frozen & half burnt pies.

I remember a couple of years ago I bought two coffee's and two bacon rolls.Chap said £18.00. !!!!!!.Mind you I paid that money for three cheese burgers and coffees at Brands on Friday. I think we are going to find a massive increase in prices to pay for all the screens and signs.

[dwh43scale]

Originally Posted by delta

I remember a couple of years ago I bought two coffee's and two bacon rolls.Chap said £18.00. !!!!!!.Mind you I paid that money for three cheese burgers and coffees at Brands on Friday. I think we are going to find a massive increase in prices to pay for all the screens and signs.

Goodwood is my "international measure of high catering prices" and rarely beaten !

Whilst I do appreciate that the apparent quality, it does seem to reflect what the market will bear rather than value for money ... but then isn't that what economics is all about !

[Peter Mallett]

Since we are discussing catering, I still lament the passing of the Woopy Snacks cabins at Spa.

[VIVA GT]

Not an actual race circuit but The Airfield Diner at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground used to serve up a magnificent breakfast (affectionally known as 'A Full Brunty!')

[bella]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Since we are discussing catering, I still lament the passing of the Woopy Snacks cabins at Spa.

god yes. greatest loss to circuit catering on the continent. we always go to a chippy outside the circuit and bring it in, far better quality and supports local businesses as well.

[S griffin]

Seems like that particular food stall will be missed. Massive shame. I bet nothing will be able to replace it if they do frites that well. Those kind of food businesses add something to the race meeting, part of the charm IMHO

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by bella

god yes. greatest loss to circuit catering on the continent. we always go to a chippy outside the circuit and bring it in, far better quality and supports local businesses as well.

The bar next to the tree of death still does reasonable food and you don't need tokens.

[delta]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Since we are discussing catering, I still lament the passing of the Woopy Snacks cabins at Spa.

If only we could turn the clocks back 30 years and just stay there. Happy days.

[S griffin]

It’s a good job we have circuits like Spa that keep memories and history alive. That’s the charm of those old school circuits that are still with us

[Peter Mallett]

I thought such an important and emotive subject should have its own thread. (Moved from the Coronavirus Thread).

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by delta

If only we could turn the clocks back 30 years and just stay there. Happy days.

You can say that again!

[Mike Harte]

On the motor racing theme of breakfasts although not at a circuit, going back 55 years, the best brekkie sandwich ever created was to be procured from a converted caravan that was permanently situated at the entrance to Ridley Road Market, in Dalston, E. London.

Whenever we were working in to the early hours getting the Anglia prepped, we would drive the few miles down the A10 from Tottenham to rejuvenate ourselves with a sandwich called The Bacon and Egg Cowboy All-on. This obviously had egg and bacon, but also included lettuce, tomato, cucumber and garden cress which wasn't a common item back then, hence why it still sticks in my mind.

The establishment was run by two guys to service the black cabby trade throughout the night (other people served the market trade during daylight hours), and cabbies would come from all over London to satisfy the appetites for a doorstop sarnie.

Happy Days, indeed.

[justracing]

Great story MH.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by justracing

Great story MH.

It made me feel really hungry!

[Paul D]

OK, going OT a bit as it's nowhere near a race track, but...

A couple of years ago, I'd driven over to east Yorkshire to look at a rally-prepared Escort Mk1 on behalf of a customer. My wife came with me and we decided to take the scenic route home rather than yawning along the M62 for a couple of hours.

We decided that we'd look for somewhere to stop and get something to eat on the way back, but we didn't see anything before we headed out onto the moors... So, by the time we came down the other side towards Manchester, we were starving, and in the first village we came to, we spotted this little roadside cafe that was open, so we parked up and gave it a go.

The wife duly ordered a veggie breakfast, even though it was about two in the afternoon by now, and I decided to go for the 'all day big breakfast'. Well, the lady serving us, who was quite a bucksome sort, gave me a look up and down, and said, quite politely, 'Are you sure, love? It is a very big breakfast!'

Now, at this point, I should add that I'm a pretty slim type and obviously must look like the type who clearly doesn't live on big fry-ups, hence the lady bringing into question my ability to cope with it.

But, no, I assured her, it'll be fine, and we sat at a table to await our food. Well, my wife's arrived first, and it looked just fine to me, so I looked forward to the imminent arrival of my own, to be greeted, seconds later, by a plate the size of a dustbin lid (for those readers too young to remember dustbin lids - just think: big!) piled impossibly high with eggs, bacon, sausages, tomatoes, fried bread, hash browns, you name it. I looked at it and, as famished as I was, thought to myself 'Jesus, maybe she was right after all!'.

But before that thought had been fully assimilated, the lady turned, and said very matter-of-factly, 'I'll just go and get your toast, love', and returned seconds later with half a loaf of toasted white bread and tubs of butter & jam!

OH MY GOD! What have I done? Well, the gauntlet had been well and truly thrown down, and I wasn't about to be beaten. Unbelievably, I did make my way through the lot (if I'm being totally honest, I seem to remember SWMBO helped me out by taking one slice of toast - hardly significant, all things considered!), although it left me anchored to the spot and unable to eat again for what I felt sure would be several days, at the very least.

And the cost of this veritable feast? Twenty quid would have seemed fair enough, but no. A tenner was an absolute steal, but no. A fiver. Five little English pounds to feed the five thousand. Surely the greatest breakfast bargain mankind has ever known? And not only was there lots of it, but it was fresh and extremely tasty.

There ought to have been a queue around the block to get in the door...

Oooh... I'm hungry now!

[andy97]

Not really breakfast related, or even motorsport related, but on a similar theme to PaulD’s above, (and it does explain a few things about our American cousins),I worked in Tampa a few years ago as one of a small team of U.K. liaison officers at US Central Command. One evening we decided to go out to Clearwater to a fish restaurant that had been recommended to us - I ordered the “Grouper meal”. The waiter looked me up and down and told me that he “could not let me order that”; suitably indignant I reminded him that the US were supposed to have invented the concept of customer service and that the customer was always right. He looked me up and down again and said, “You’re a Brit aren’t you?”
“yes of course” I replied, “so?”
“Ain’t no Brit ever eaten a grouper meal” he continued.
He then looked round the room and back at me, and then pointed me to look at a table a few yards away containing a grouper meal.
He was absolutely right! The meal consisted of one large plate containing a fried grouper overhanging the sides of the plate, another large plate containing just fries and a third large plate piled high with salad.
I asked him what he would allow me to order and he suggested that a grouper sandwich might be ok.
I duly ordered that, and even that was massive, and included fries and salad, without me even eating the bread!

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

I thought such an important and emotive subject should have its own thread. (Moved from the Coronavirus Thread).

I was mildly surprised to discover that I'd apparently started a thread but fair play to you, Peter, it is a worthy topic