Hog Roast Mottingham was asked to help out with a retirement party on Friday afternoon, which was hosted on behalf of Jim, who, after 30-odd years, clocked out of his factory job for the very last time!
For his colleagues, Jim’s retirement was a bittersweet occasion. On the one hand, they were happy to see him enter his well-deserved retirement years, but on the other, they were sad to say goodbye. So, they had resolved to give him a proper send-off in the form of a surprise party!
Darren, who had worked with Jim the longest, took the lead in planning this special event, and after making sure that the rest of the staff were all on board, he called Hog Roast Mottingham to arrange catering for the occasion.
After speaking with our catering manager, Jason, about the menu options we have on offer, the client opted for our Classic Hog Roast Menu, which encompasses a whole-roasted free-range pig, slow-cooked to perfection on our HogMaster grill before being served on gluten-free or wholemeal rolls with crispy pork scratchings, our homemade savoury sage and onion stuffing and applesauce. The menu also comes with a meat-free option – for this, Darren chose our BBQ pulled jackfruit rolls – and a selection of side salads, coleslaw and a mixture of sweet potato and regular fries.
When Friday rolled around, Jason and the Hog Roast Mottingham team travelled the short distance to the factory, where after parking the van, they set up our catering gazebo in the car park and set straight to work on preparing the meal. Inside, Jim was busy putting in the hours for his last shift and had no idea what awaited him outside!
During his break, Darren had filled the car park with ‘Happy Retirement’ balloons and a table, which slowly filled up with gifts from other staff members as the day went on.
Jim was finally brought outside at 2 pm, and to say he was speechless would be an understatement. He could hardly believe the lengths that Darren and his other co-workers had gone to in order to give him the best start to his retirement, and together, they all enjoyed digging into the sublime hog roast and having one last catch-up before Jim headed off to kickstart his retirement.