Some companies talk about looking after their people. Others actually do it – and from what we saw at IKO’s Appley Bridge site this month, they very much fall into the second category.
For anyone who doesn’t know IKO, they’ve been a powerhouse of UK manufacturing for over 140 years. Roofing, waterproofing, insulation, infrastructure – if it keeps a building standing and watertight, chances are IKO has had a hand in it. Four manufacturing sites, clients across healthcare, education, logistics, the public sector and beyond. It’s relentless, high-pressure work, and the team never really gets a chance to stop. So when the decision was made to treat 80 of them to something special, we didn’t take that responsibility lightly.
Hog Roast Lancashire was called in, and we brought the Deep South with us.
The Southern Slow Roast menu is one of Hog Roast Lancashire’s absolute favourites to put together because it works for just about any crowd. This time around we served Texan-style beef brisket cooked low and slow until it practically fell apart, Cajun-spiced whole roast chickens with that perfect crisp skin and punchy seasoning, and pulled quarter of minted lamb that was tender, fragrant and gone in a flash. Meanwhile, grilled vegetable kebabs with optional halloumi made sure the veggie and vegan guests had something equally exciting to dig into.
Three sauces sat alongside the mains – smoky and sweet at one end of the spectrum, properly fiery at the other – and watching people mix and match to find their perfect combination is genuinely one of the best parts of the job. Mixed salads, a Greek salad, roasted new potatoes and a mix of sweet potato and classic fries rounded out the spread, with bottles of water and soft drinks keeping everyone going throughout.
Then came dessert. Individual creamy cheesecakes and profiteroles smothered in cream – and honestly, they disappeared so quickly we could’ve blinked and missed it.
To every single person on the IKO team: you work incredibly hard and you absolutely deserved every bite. It was a pleasure feeding you – and Hog Roast Lancashire is up for round 2 when you are.