Belper, my hometown (just north of Derby) is said to have taken its name from the French phrase Beaurepaire, meaning ‘beautiful retreat’ – well let me tell you, when you have the town’s Ladies Hockey team all pile into one modestly sized marquee, hungry after a hard fought win, that’s a phrase that can take on all sorts of different meanings! Lucky then, that I have the ultimate way to sate their appetites – a large hog roast! I’ve always been very proud of the work I do, providing people with great grub to help mark their special occasions – whether it be the wedding of local celebrity Tracy Shaw (yes, her off Coronation Street!) – the father of the bride was almost as happy to see her ‘putting some meat on those bones’ as to see her married, or distributing crackling to the children at the St Elizabeth’s Primary School fete. I’ve always thought of myself as ‘the 007 of hunger-busting’. You see, when I was a kid, Timothy Dalton was the most famous person from my hometown, so naturally I wanted to be James Bond! Unfortunately as the years went by, I realised I may not be super spy material and upon leaving school, what with factories closing and such, found myself unemployed and a bit despondent. That was until one day, when I went to a friend’s summer party and saw my future laid out clear as day… The friend in question had hired a spit-roast all the way from Birmingham and when I saw everyone reduce this huge cooked pig to bear bones in under an hour, I knew what I had to do. The next day I made some enquiries, got myself a bank loan and within a week, i’d started my own business as a pig roaster! Now I can happily say I’ve never looked back, catering to all sorts of diverse events in my area & beyond and constantly meeting new people who are always happy to see me (or maybe it’s just the pig they are so pleased to lay their eyes on!). I get a big sense of satisfaction, knowing that I contributed in some way towards people’s special events being just that little bit more special. The trick is getting to the venue and getting set up with plenty of time so the food has time to be roasted from fresh (the only way to do it, if you ask me or any connoisseur) and timing it right so it’s all ready and glowing with a georgeous golden glaze on time. Any other secrets, such as recipes, I’ll carry to the grave! It’s been some fifteen years in the business now and I’m happy to say my reputation precedes me as the ‘go-to’ guy for a celebratory feast. James Bond can keep his adventure and intrigue (Mr Dalton long since moved on from that job while I still love mine!) – I prefer mine not shaken or stirred, but spit-roasted! – Sam Slater, Belper.
The Best Hog Roast in the Midlands