One of our members sent us this article about a new venture he has embarked on. It made such great reading we thought it was worth sharing.

“My partner Caitlin and I cycled our 1934 Carpenter Tandem to a local event where we noticed a fascinating horse-drawn machine with a large chimney. The machine was crackling and popping and steam was venting out of several large lids, with the familiar aroma of a coal fire and homemade stew.

We got talking to the young couple in period costume who proudly restored the German field kitchen. We were impressed with their attention to detail, all the food they were cooking was straight out of a German field kitchen cookbook published in 1942. Modern hygiene standards meant they weren’t able to trade to the public, but they catered for friends and family. They said how food is another way to connect with the past and everyone can experience that direct link. This idea struck a chord with Caitlin and I, as we are both passionate about keeping the past alive. 

I’ve got a lovely collection of pre-war lightweights and French racing bikes, but I’ve also got a real interest in the solidly built trade bicycles Britain made in the first half of the 20th century. I’ve long been captivated by the romance and simplicity of a pedlar and his bicycle trading his wares, a concept that has almost totally disappeared. 

Having recently restored a 1930’s tradesman’s bike, I thought it would be a bit of fun to keep the tradition alive and become a pedlar on my weekend rides in The South Downs. I started peddling homemade flapjacks to cyclists and walkers, the reception was very friendly and it put a smile on lots of peoples faces. Around this time my little boy Edward was born, and suddenly I had a name for the business, Teddy’s Café was proudly hand painted on the panel mounted inside the frame.

I really got into the swing of things, looking for period correct clothing and researching more traditional recipes from the 1930’s. Space in my little wicker basket was becoming a limiting factor. It wasn’t long before I got wind of a chap in Exmouth looking to free up some space in his overflowing bicycle barn. A 1940’s Pashley Cargo Tricycle had been set aside as a project that was never started. The overlooked machine took the space of 4 bicycles so a good deal was made and it came home with me.

The spoken history was that with the wartime rationing of petrol, the cargo tricycle made milk deliveries to Plymouth. When rationing ended the trike worked hard as a platform trolley in a farmyard. The farmyard years took its toll and although nothing was broken much was bent as a result of lugging around loads that far exceeded the load capacity. During the restoration lots of care was taken to gently persuade the frame back into shape. The original delivery box had long gone, so I sourced a wartime dovetail storage crate that guaranteed me high quality hard wood. This crate formed a good starting point for the rest of the build. The Walls ice-cream tricycles became a precedent and with photographs and some artistic license I made the worktop and sides from pine and oak salvaged from damaged antique furniture at the local tip. 

When the box was finally bolted to the sprung chassis, it was easy to see that the internal volume and ample worktop space could facilitate the equipment needed for cold storage and hot drinks. Traditional homemade food could now be stored and transported safely at modern food hygiene standards. I am proud to say our food hygiene rating is top of the scale at 5 – very good and fully compliant with the law.

The equilibrium between authenticity and modern safety and food hygiene standards has been an enjoyable design challenge. A few alterations to 1930’s and 40’s operating procedures have been introduced. Modern electrical equipment is safely hidden out of view, a sanitizing and disinfecting station is tucked away but easily accessible. Recyclable cups, spoons and stirrers prevent cross contamination. But in the true spirit of the Veteran Cycle Club I use carbide lamps at night, grind away without any electric pedal assistance and where possible stock delicious homemade food from traditional recipes. 

I work with a wonderful collection of local certified home bakers who are far more skilled than I am in the kitchen. This now means Teddy’s Café offers traditional catering to private events and celebrations, a really popular option is a cycling afternoon tea service that arrives in your back garden.”