In the grand scheme of things, this is a very minor grumble, but it does grate with me. I love all things motorbikes, I like riding bikes of course, but I like the aesthetics, the smell, sound, look and feel of bikes of all ages, shapes and sizes. My love of bikes causes me to occasionally go to biking events, such as classic bike shows, races (brilliant week at the Classic TT recently), etc. My grumble is that the food on offer at biking events is mainly burgers, bangers and pulled-pork baps. Occasionally, there is a fish and chip van, but usually with a huge queue. At the IoM, behind the grandstand, there was a pizza van, as well as burgers, bangers... There is great street food available in the UK, both British and non-British, so why do motorcycle event organisers think that we motorbike enthusiasts only like junk food? Is that the case? Or do you know of any bike events that cater for wider tastes in food. Is it just me who's fed up of burgers with bikes.
Don't think it's anything to do with the event organisers it's just the the venders at bike events are mobile caterers which means burgers and chips etc unfortunately. It's always been like that and I suppose always will Whilst at the TT and Classic TT/MGP, on race day I usually watch from Marown Church, good home cooked food. The Crosby and the Creg offer good food and beer as do Ginger Hall hotel and numerous other vantage points. I've got to be desperate for something to eat before I eat the crap that's served up at bike race meets.
I once went out with a group of bikers, took them to the oil can cafe in Holmfirth which sell generous quality home cooked food and all they wanted was a farrrrrking greasy spoon shit hole??!!!
Nearly all venues do this, it's the biggest profit margin going, sell a 20 p burger for 6.50, happens everywhere! Maybe the hipsters have something going for them, any hipster events around? Get a nice organic spinach and brown rice gluten free wrap with cold brew coffee. For about £18 , but it'll be healthy. And put hair on your face!
I always make sure I take a nice green salad and a bottle of mineral water with me. None of that greasy shite for me thank you very much.
While in London for the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride we were looking for something to eat and stumbled on a street food festival someone had organised so that vendors could showcase their stuff. There was a huge variety of superb food on offer. I had a Greek lamb stew that was fantastic and cost a fiver, one of my mates had a superb seafood salad and the other two had Korean food, nobody paid more than £7.50 and we all had more than enough to eat. Just about every major cuisine was represented so there are alternatives out there and it's the event organisers that rent out the food pitches so they do have the opportunity to offer alternatives to the usual crap. Like many things in their country we lag behind the rest of the world when it comes to street food but things are changing slowly as more and more mobile vendors selling decent food spread out from the cities.
What's wrong with burgers??? It's the food of champions Only bettered by Greggs Too many southern softies on here...eating leaves and drinking shandy's...man up and eat proper food
You can't even get a decent coffee at most bike related events - they obviously cater for the basic demand. It might be a pound but half the time its a spoonful of cheap catering crap in a polystyrene cup! Bacon rolls and burgers are greasy cheap poorly cooked sh*te but most punters won't pay any more for decent grub. A good bacon roll or burger is one of my favourite snacks but it should be good quality.
Thanks for the responses. We need more like the Copdock show, then (must look that one up). There is great street food around, if you look for it, but just not at the bike events I've been to. I'm from the land of deep fried mars bars, so hardly a southern softy. More than happy for Greggs to pitch up next to the burger van, just as long as there is something else for me to scoff.
There's a lot of Greggs on the motorway service stations these days. I stopped at one on my way down to Devon in August. I was very surprised to get a very tasty bacon and sausage butty and a cup of tea for £3 odd. Very good value I thought, especially when the other outlets were doing really chitty looking small congealed dollops of breakfasts for about 8 quid.
About 25 years ago I went to the Cropredy Folk Festival and the range of great food at sensible prices was amazing. So it can certainly be done. Got talking to a vendor at the BMF Rally a few years later and asked why everyone sold the same limited range and he said it was set by the organisers as was the ridiculous price list. I'm sure he also said they were obliged to buy their stock from the same place too which prevented one van making more profit or, heaven forbid, provide something more edible.