Since 1983, the Reading Half Marathon has been pulling in crowds to one of the town’s most scenic routes – and it’s easy to see why. It’s not just a race, it’s a full-on atmosphere. Runners, supporters, music, cheers… the whole thing has a bit of a festival feel to it. This year was no different either, with over 10,000 people turning up, lacing their trainers, and taking on the challenge for all sorts of reasons – personal goals, charity, or just for the fun of it.
And while all that was going on, Hog Roast Reading was right there too… just not in running gear.
No, our version of a marathon looked slightly different. Ours involved feeding 325 hungry guests right in the middle of the day – arguably just as intense, just with fewer finish lines and a lot more sandwiches.
To pull it off, we were on-site before most people had even hit snooze on their alarms. Early starts are all part of the job when you’re cooking things properly, and with a hog roast, there’s no rushing it. The centrepiece – a free-range hog – was slowly cooked over open flames for hours. By the time things got going, the skin had turned a perfect golden colour, crisping up nicely, while the meat underneath stayed soft, juicy, and easy to pull apart.
Once it was ready, things moved quickly. Guests built their own rolls and wraps, piling in the pork along with sage and onion stuffing and a good spoonful of applesauce – sweet, slightly tangy, and exactly what you want to balance out the savouriness of the meat. On the side, there were fresh mixed salads and a creamy coleslaw that went down very well.
Hog Roast Reading didn’t forget about the non-meat eaters either. Grilled vegetable kebabs (with optional halloumi), flatbreads, and tzatziki gave everyone something colourful and full of flavour to tuck into.
Hog Roast Reading served the lot on simple wooden crockery with matching cutlery – easy to carry, easy to eat, and ideal for people watching the race unfold.
All in all, we couldn’t have pictured a better day and those who were lucky enough to try our food had wonderful things to say about it.