Beaulieu Static Caravan Show

This weekend we had a stand at the Beaulieu Static Caravan Show. The weather was perfect.

The sun shone every day as we talked thermal cooking to many of the visitors to the show. One couple left the show and later decided to come back in to buy one.

Each day we took a cake and a main course to show what can be cooked in the thermal cooker. The steak and kidney pudding that we made for Sunday certainly was a hit with the male visitors who all seem to love this dish.

In the afternoon I did a demonstration of how to prepare a meal. This not only showed how quick it is to prepare a meal but meant we had a hot supper when we got home.

Fridays recipe: Chilli con carne - serves 8 people (use half the contents for 4 people): from Olive Magazine

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil


• 2 onions, finely chopped


• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely


• bunch of coriander, leaves picked, stalks chopped up finely


• 2 green chillies, diced finely


• 1 tsp of chilli flakes


• 2 tsp ground cumin


• 2 tsp ground cinnamon


• 2 tsp dried oregano


• 1 kg good-quality beef mince


• 2 tbsp tomato puree


• 200ml red wine


• 1 tsp of salt


• 1 tsp of fresh ground pepper


• 600g canned chopped tomatoes


• 2 tbsp black treacle


• 1 litre beef stock


• 2 red peppers diced


• 400g tin kidney beans


• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in the inner pot and gently fry the onions, garlic, coriander stalks and chillies on a medium heat for 5 minutes until softened.


2. Stir in the spices and oregano and cook for 2 minutes.


3. Turn up the heat to medium-high, add the beef mince and brown it.


4. Turn down the heat to medium and add the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes.


5. Add the salt, pepper and red wine. Cook it for 2 minutes to let it reduce.


6. Stir in the canned tomatoes, peppers, kidney beans and black treacle.


7. Put the lid on the inner pot and turn of the heat.


8. Put the inner pot into the insulated outer pot and shut the lid.


9. Leave to cook in the thermal cooker for a minimum of 2 hours.


10. Before serving check the seasoning and adjust.


11. Serve with rice and garnish with the coriander leaves.
    

The Beaulieu Autojumble 12th & 13th Sept. 2009

Last weekend we had a stall at the International Beaulieu Autojumble. I had tried for a couple of years to get a stall at this mammoth event in Hampshire and at last was allocated one for this year. The vent covers 30 acres and has over 2,00 stands. People come from all over the world to buy car bits old and new.

We demonstrated the Thermal cooker over the two days and had a considerable amount of interest. On show was our new Shuttle Chef Traveller (a KPY-4500 Shuttle Chef complete with the carry bag made for us). Most people chose to buy a top pot with their Shuttle Chef and for a limited period we were giving away a copy of our new thermal cook book.

Each day I demonstrated preparing a meal mid afternoon which meant we had a meal when we got home.

Visitors to our stand were offered chocolate chip cake made the previous night. This went down very well.

The second sale we made Saturday morning was to a lady who went of with her Shuttle Chef and made an evening meal of chicken casserole. The following morning she came to visit us saying how great the meal was and the fact she left it to cook in the afternoon in her caravan without the worry of power being on was so good.

The weather stayed fine for the whole weekend and by the time we came to clear up late Sunday afternoon we were pleased with the response and there were a number of new Thermal cooks.

Netley Marsh Steam Rally and the New Pot

A little late, but last weekend we had a stand at the Netley Marsh Steam Rally in Hampshire. The weather looked as though it was not going to be kind to us but Saturday and Sunday turned out to be OK.

The steam rally started in 1971 when they needed to raise funds for urgent repairs to St Matthews church. Among the attractions was Billy the owl, start of the latest Harry Potter film. The steam rally has up to 10,000 visitors and many of them stay the weekend in their caravans or motor homes.

We had a 30 foot stand and the Thermos Shuttle Chef was our main item for sale. Just before the show we received our first shipment of pots from Australia. These hang from the top of the Shuttle Chef inner pot and means that you can cook accompaniments such as rice or vegetables in this pot while cooking the main meal underneath. This make the whole cooker so much more versatile. We were selling it for £24.99 or £20.00 if you buy it with a Shuttle Chef.

We had a lots of interest, and questions over the weekend. As usual the cake was the biggest talking point. We had made a lemon drizzle cake for Saturday and this was very popular. Each day I demonstrated the making of chilli con carne with rice. I used minced beef, a large onion, a packet of "Discovery" Mexican wicked chilli spice mix, a tin of chopped tomatoes and a tin of red kidney beans. I like to add a little chopped lemon (with skin) to give that slightly tart taste that contrasts with the heat of the chilli.

By the end of the weekend we had sold a number of Shuttle Chefs and all but one had included the new extra pot.

We will certainly be doing this show again next year.

Dave