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Hog Roast Virginia Water

Virginia Water takes its name from what was originally a stream back in the 17th century. That little stream is now a man-made lake which became so large that in World War II it had to be drained so its distinctive shape would not guide enemy aircraft searching for nearby military outposts. In the 1700s what was then a little stream was dug out into a great lake under the order of the Park Ranger at the time, the duke of Cumberland. After a flood which broke its borders in the late 1700s, 1780 saw a much larger lake built from the original by architects Thomas and Paul Sandby, who also added a waterfall which is still admired today.

The lake recently gained a little stint on the big screen as the lakeside used in the Harry Potter films. The striking, mysterious lake does have something a little magical about it, not unlike the village which takes its name. Unlike Harry Potter though, it is not the lake which has brought us to Virginia Water. We are here to supply a hog roasting machine and catering at one of the village's care homes. It is a crisp but sunny September day when we set up in the garden of one of Virginia Water's care homes; the residents are celebrating nothing in particular, but any reason for a good-knees up, one of the ladies tells me, and they're up for it. The home and garden is alive with the sound of relatives and grandchildren giggling and chatting together. Our spitted hog roast Virginia Water meat, full and gently turning on one of our bespoke machines, is the talk of the party.

The guests are delighted to watch the hog roast Virginia Water meal slowly cook right before them, and are full of questions which our cook is more than happy to answer. These questions, as they often do, range from the actual process of cooking the meat to the actual origins of hog roasting itself. A couple of children stand near the turning hog, constantly asking me questions – at first not entirely convinced that we are cooking a full, real pig.

The actual notion of hog roasting has been around for thousands of years. It is a little difficult to cite exactly when the practice began, especially since it is a method of cooking which is simple enough in execution for our very distant ancestors to grasp, hog roasts seem to have their history all over the world. Here in the UK, they are perhaps most popularly portrayed as the choice food of medieval citizens cooking for large groups of people. In Britain, they are often found documented in books and illustrations of the time gracing the feasts of royalty and nobility, but the actual act of skewing meat and cooking it over a fire was used by those feeding a smaller group or family too. The method of cooking was not exclusive to hogs anymore than it is today; like your ancestors, you can choose smaller meats such as chicken, lamb or legs of beef.

A hog roast hire Virginia Water can feed from 120-130 people depending on the size. When it is fully cooked, the meat tastes wonderful; and of course, your guests taste buds will be tingling from the wonderful smell as it cooks. Fortunately, unlike our medieval ancestors, any leftovers can be sliced off and kept for when you get peckish a few days later. “Harry Potter was filmed by the lake, you know.” One of the residents chirrup happily to me, as she tucks into her pork and stuffing sandwich. We have provided soft, fluffy rolls and a selection of sauces, including – of course – apple sauce. “My grandson was very eager to get Daniel Radcliffe's autograph, but the whole area was cordoned off. We got to have a good peek at the cast though. It was all very exciting.”

“There was a monster in the lake, you see.” Her grandson, sat beside her with a plate of succulent roast hog hire Virginia Water and potatoes, butts in. “Or something like that. But only in pretend, there's not really a monster in the lake.” And he gives me a knowing look.

The weather starts to look a little gloomy as we start packing up and the full, satisfied residents move back inside, but not after giving some tips to a few of the visiting guests who want to try their hand at roasting a hog themselves. Of course, we are happy to hire out our machines for absolutely any event, and simply pick up the machine once you are done with it. Something tells me, judging by the satisfied residents and relatives, this won't be our only visit to Virginia Water in the near future!