Pre Season Build Up

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Hog Master in our Showroom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to a new week of hog roasting and we are another week closer to the start of the hog roast season. With the popularity of hog roasts growing year on year a lot of caterers now find themselves working quite steadily throughout the winter months. However we all know that the really hard work comes during the summer months when most outdoor events, weddings and parties are traditionally held. Therefore the pre season run up can be particularly busy for us here at Hogmaster as we are often helping caters get there equipment sorted. This can include all manner of tasks such as new product sales, servicing and training. We like to think we provide a full service here and can help in any way possible with regards to setting up a hog roast business or for existing business we provide support that helps them grow year on year. Therefore what a lot of our customers do this time of year is head down to the factory, come and have a cup of tea or coffee in our dedicated showroom, take a look at our new products and talk about the year ahead. We are a fantastic source of knowledge so if you’re thinking about becoming a hog roaster this summer then get in touch today and take advantage of our fantastic deals and wealth of knowledge.

Weight on my shoulders

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Weight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the purchase of every Hogmaster spit roast machine comes a vital but often underused accessories the weight counterbalance. This simple yet effective tool is designed to ensure that when spit roasting a pig it turns steady and evenly. Without the use of the weight you could cause an uneven turning motion which can damage your motor and rubber star in the long term. The correct usage of the weight is outline in the Hogmaster manual included with every machine purchase. However I’ll explain it here as well. The best position for the weight in at the back side of the pig just behind the triangle that holds the back legs in place. Place between the leg and as far up the pole as possible the weight should be secured so that it is on the opposite side that the majority of the pig weight is on. This is to even the weight out thus creating a smooth turning motion. You may find it useful to use a rubber hammer to hit the 2 pronger, triangle and weight as far up into the centre as possible. The weight should be used whatever size pig you cook but it starts to become essential once the weight of the pig exceed 65kg. So now you know how important the weight is. Have a good weekend guys and I’ll be back first thing Monday morning.

Winter Weather

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Ready for service

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a weekend it was, I was very surprised to see the amount of snow the country had from Saturday onwards. However I think the worst of it is over. I was out using one of our Hogmasters this weekend with a customer at an event in Kent. I’ve got to say I was a little worried when I saw the forecast but luckily we were indoors and the corporate event we were working at wasn’t affected. That’s the great thing about the Hogmaster is that because it is fully mobile once you have finished cooking in a well ventilated area the machine can be moved into an area most appropriate for the service. In this circumstance we move it into the corner of the conference room we were serving in. The 50 guests all got double helpings off freshly spit roasted pork with crispy crackling, apple sauce and homemade stuffing. It went fantastically well.
The reason why I was in Kent was with every purchase of a Hogmaster machine we offer the option of onsite training. This is great for people who are new to the industry or just want to learn a few hints and tips from the experts. I think it’s safe to say that Neil learnt a lot that day. What’s even better is that we always try and train people on live event that way you get a real feel for how it works. It look at every aspect of hog roasting from preparation, health and safety, cooking, liaising with the customer, serving, clearing away and of course paperwork. So if you’re thinking about joining the industry then make sure you choose the professionals to show you how.

Lighting our Machine

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Another helpful video from the Hogmaster team, this time we are showing you how to light our machines. It might sound easy and it is, but we thought we’d show you how anyway. One thing to remember though is that if you don’t use the machine regularly (every day) then during storage oxygen can become caught in the gas hose. This can affect the pilot light system when you come to light the machine. Therefore it’s good practise to bleed the system before each use. You can see this on the video. You need to hold down the gas tap past the ignition point for roughly 2mins to allow all the oxygen to be removed from the gas pipe. This will allow for a constant stream of propane and ensure the pilot light system lights correctly first time every time. For more hints and tips like this see our YouTube channel it’s full of videos showing how to get the best out of your machine.

Servicing – Pilot Lights

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Our machine uses a self ignition pilot light system, this is designed to ensure you can both light the machine in a safe manner and have control over gas input and therefore the temperature. In order to function correctly these pilot lights need to be kept clean and clear.

Cleaning the machines is easy, all you need is hot soapy water, a steel wool cloth, wet and dry sand paper and a stainless steel cleaner and you’ll be able to achieve a perfect shine every time. During cooking fat particles can get caught in the pilot light and this can affect lighting the machine if not removed. Therefore during each clean take a small pin and insert into the pilot light to make sure nothing is blocking the system. After the clean make sure you light the machine and leave it running on a low flame for 10 mins to ensure the system is clear of blockages. This will also help you to dry the machine.

If this procedure isn’t followed your pilot light can become severely blocked. You will still be able to light the machine by manually overriding the system using a lighter or blowtorch to heat up the thermocouple; however it is good practise to keep the pilot light clear. The following video shows how to remove the pilot light to give it a clean or to replace it. As a general rule pilot light should be changed every year to ensure your machine operates smoothly. We sell pilot lights at £20 + VAT and offer next day delivery. So take a look at the video and give us a call if you need any parts.

Out the Door

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Hogmaster ready to go

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hog roasting is traditionally thought of as seasonal affair, but in recent years its popularity has grown such that now it has become a year round industry. A lot of our customers now operate full time mobile catering businesses and therefore there is a demand for our products even in the winter months. The picture before taken at our dedicated factory yesterday is evidence of that. We have hogmasters flying out the door and it’s great to see our customers busy at this time of year. Also a lot of our sales our people preparing for the summer season of hog roasting. We expect 2012 to be one of the biggest years for a decade for event and this means that caterers, restaurants, pubs and local business are going to be kept busy. Therefore it is advisable to get prepared early and make the most out of the extended summer season. We have a lot of early bird deals this month so why not get in touch speak to our sales team.

The Hogmaster Team

Hog Master On Show

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On Display

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve put our hog master in our dedicated showroom this morning, we’ve got a couple of clients coming to view our new design this weekend so we want to make sure we show of the best of the machine’s qualities. That reminds me if you any of you would like to come down and take a look at our range then why not come to the factory. We are open 7 days a week and you can come and talk to one of our sales team about the product and even take a walk around the factory and watch the machines begin born.

The Hog Master Team

Hog Master, Ready To Go

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Fresh Batch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just got back from the factory this morning and just overseen a fresh batch of Hog Master machines beginning finished off. I like to go over and run over the gas safe tests with our plumbers so I personally know that every machine is firing on all cylinders. Its important to be prepared in January and we now have a level of stock that I’m happy with. By doing this we can guarantee next day delivery of our machines anywhere in the UK and we can delivery any where in the world within 5 days. I’m really happy with the work the lads have done over at our dedicated factory, but there is no time to stand around, we are super busy.

The Photo Shoot

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With the forthcoming arrival of our new website for the Hog Master we had scheduled a photo shoot and yesterday was the big day. It is important when photographing a product that you get the most out of the day and therefore a lot of preparation went into making sure we got the images we needed. The day previous I spent running around collecting the various food items we would need to ensure that we showcased our product and all it uses effectively. We had a busy day ahead of us we were going to cook a full 60kg pig, 25 chickens, 4 strips of beef and a full barbeque. We arrived at the photographers early and set up a catering unit outside the building. We are so used to working as mobile caterers that it was easy, we had two brand new Hog Masters up and running in no time. I then took the chance to make the most of this opportunity and started making a video of the day’s events.

You can see Hog Master Photo Shoot by Clicking on the following link:

We had to be very precise with the cooking times as we wanted to photo the various different meats at different times on the number of attachments we offer. However the Hog Master worked incredibly well meaning we could control when the meat was perfectly cooked meaning we got the best results possible. It was great to see how well the finished product worked and everyone at the studio commented on how great the crackling was. We even gave them a joint each to say thank you. We get the finished results next week so it won’t be long before you see them up on the website.

The Hog Master Team