The Romans broke off their stern march
From Luguvalium to Mamuciam:
“We’ve commands from our Caesar
Who craves his mouth-pleaser
So without delay
Or we’ll make you pay
Hand over your store of parched peas, sir.”
Ernie Rhodes set up his hot potato cart on the flag market in 1955. His nephew, Keith Roberts, began working for him at the age of ten, stoking the converted fire pump which had once served the folk of Blackburn, with wood, coal or anything combustible. Covered in soot, little Keith looked like nothing more than a Victorian chimney sweep. At length, the apprentice became the master and Keith took over the enterprise in 1978. His son, also Keith, in turn took over from him in 2008 and four years later bought the tram which has become an attractive and reassuring feature of the town centre.
Sadly, much mourned, the popular Keith Jnr died prematurely in 2020 and he contacted his old friend Tony Nelson to ask if he would be willing to take over the business. Keith had given Tony’s daughter and son, Brittany and Jake, their first part-time jobs. He wanted the venture to remain a family affair and trusted Tony to retain its character. A trained chef, former sales director for Carlsberg, and married to Helena, a consultant in the food industry, Tony accepted with alacrity. The father and son tradition will be continued as Tony and Jake take over.
The wood and coal, of course, are long gone but the old ethos of friendly service will endure. Tony intends to expand the menu and is thinking of adding pancakes, breakfasts, hot and cold drinks.
Prestonians always have looked for the familiar sight of the welcoming tram in its customary place on Preston Flag Market, serving hot, tasty food to cheer them up. And we look forward to many more years of doing so! If you want to get in touch so we can provide your special occasion with our snazzy tram, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We sell jacket spuds, parched peas, hotdogs, and sweet treats on Preston Flag Market – but that’s not all! Our Hot Potato Tram now goes on tour and can attend all your special events and occasions! If you’d like our stylish tram to rock up at your next party, get in touch so we can provide the spuds!
Harold MacMillan was Prime Minister and a pint of milk cost three pence when Ernie Rhodes set up his hot potato cart on the flag market in 1955. Many a restaurant has come and gone in that time, but the trusty old tram still remains as a Prestonian favourite, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a single local that couldn’t tell you the location of the best parched peas in the UK. (It’s on the Preston Flag Market in Preston town centre in case you aren’t from these parts.)
Well apart from potatoes and parched peas, we value family and our local community. The Hot Potato Tram has become a pillar of Preston and we believe that keeping a steady stream of parched peas available to the masses is just as important as sourcing all of our sweet treats and baked goods from local bakeries. Our family-run tram relies on the people of Preston just as much as we rely on them – so thank you, we wouldn’t be us without you lot!
Some say that in the original story of Adam and Eve, it wasn’t an apple that tempted Eve – it was actually a pot of parched peas. Others say that Guy Fawkes only attempted to blow up parliament because they said they’d ban parched peas for being too delicious. Now we can neither confirm nor deny those claims, but here’s what the history books have to say about the Prestonian delicacy that we all know and love: the humble parched pea.
That’s right! The Hot Potato Tram now goes on the road and can provide your special event or occasion with the world’s best parched peas and potatoes! If you’d like to see our Menu, you can peruse our package deals here. Once you’ve picked the Tier that works for your event, get in touch!