One man and his campervan

New series starting on Tuesday @ 6.30 BBC2. Martin Dorery travelling round Britain foraging and cooking local delicacies. Its a good book so hope the series is as good. By the way he's not in a Brazibay but its still Campervanning

Starts MONDAY.

Got it Plus'd.

TimV wrote:

Starts MONDAY.

Got it Plus'd.

Opps, I plussed it too

Just seen advert for programme - got the timer booked for 6.30.

Well I thought it was a brilliant snapshot of campervan life. All the traders should be rubbing their hands with glee. There's nothing better than a telly programme to plant ideas in people's heads!!

The tip about using sea water to boil your spuds in was great.

TimV wrote:

Well I thought it was a brilliant snapshot of campervan life. All the traders should be rubbing their hands with glee. There's nothing better than a telly programme to plant ideas in people's heads!!

The tip about using sea water to boil your spuds in was great.

The spud thing does work, also the mussells for free worked for me last year in St Ives. My niece and nephew loved them. This is what it is all about

Great show! Shame it wasnt a Brazi Bay though.....The mussells in Charlestown, Cornwall harbour are amazing and such an easy meal to cook with a little white wine, onion and cream...yum yum!

Think the series has been great. Has been pitched just about right, catering for the uninitiated (explaining levelling chocks, how to light the grill) to the converted (enough van eye candy to make spring and the touring season seem a little closer). The guy seems to genuinely love his VWs without any air of classic snobbery or clique. Good on him for genuinely wanting to wander over to the T4 owner for a chat and a tour of her bus. More classic owners like Martin Dorey would maybe get rid of that ridiculous notion of anyone who doesn't own a 40+ year old aircooled original bay or splitty feeling like a second class citizen in the company of some classic-bores. I spent years arguing with people that, yes I did own a proper VW when I had my T25! I reckon he would see beyond our number plates and appreciate our Brazibays for what they are, modern classics, true vws full of character and charm. How long does the series run for?

Well his van is part BraziBay - it's got a Brazilian tailgate on it!

Love the show, and a quick note on the theme of classic owners who usually ignore us..... I met an elderly gentleman in Wicks car park who was driving his beautiful 1966 split screen, odd rust spot here and there, but driven regularily and loved. He thought 'Mish' was fantastic, and loved the fact that it's our daily drive, he was even tempted to buy one, so there you go, not all classic owners are snobs!

The show is great it's really making us want the weather to improve and get out. If anyone interested Martin Dorey has a book the campervan cook book it's a good read with some great ideas, and it is on offer in asda.

I think a lot of it is for the camera Tilly. Or he doesn't want to have to clean the hob - I know that feeling!

Tilly wrote:

I notice he always sets up a table outside and cooks on a portable hob. Is this just for the benefit of the cameras showing the cooking, or do people really do this I guess to avoid lingering dinner smells in their van?

Hands up who carries a portable hob with them!

We carry a portable hob for that reason, also when we are pitched in a campsite with the awning up, we take our cooker out of Olive and keep it in the awning, it does stop the smells but also gives us a lot more space in the van. Hence why we decided to make and fit our own kitchen cupboards. It only takes 5 mins to do

Tilly wrote:

I notice he always sets up a table outside and cooks on a portable hob. Is this just for the benefit of the cameras showing the cooking, or do people really do this I guess to avoid lingering dinner smells in their van?

Hands up who carries a portable hob with them!

we use a portable hob as a back up and it's nice to use outside we it's sunny

The Bar-B-Q is the only outside cooking we do
(Recording series - not watched any yet )

We take a single burner stove with us for a back up, and use it outside with a bbq, but cook inside the van a great deal too, we have an oven and we use it a lot. Even done a Sunday roast in it!

I'm with Scooby, all the outside cooking is done on a BBQ.

ASDA were selling disposable ones for £1 in their end of summer season sale. brought loads of them ready for this year.

kiteman wrote:

I'm with Scooby, all the outside cooking is done on a BBQ.

ASDA were selling disposable ones for £1 in their end of summer season sale. brought loads of them ready for this year.

Disposable BBQ'S no thanks..............the stench of firelighter fuel permeating through to the food which is cooked 10mm above the coals is not cooking.

Not a propper BBQ if everything isn't burnt to a crisp on the outside. The lighter fuel helps mask the chard taste of the sausages.

kiteman wrote:

Not a propper BBQ if everything isn't burnt to a crisp on the outside. The lighter fuel helps mask the chard taste of the sausages.

I have had my fair share of this type of BBQ...................no more for me

As we have lucky enough to have europe as our back garden in the summer and its "usually better weather, we very rarely cook inside Daphne come May onwards. The grills job then is only to warm croissants in the morning.

What we have is a two ring electric hob from Carrefour (but i guess asda sell similar) which sits very nicely on a decathlon table, and a very small collapsable (flat) barbie. Though as you get further south in france most campgrounds have comunal barbies which are great to use.

Not only does it mean no odours but more importantly no condensation.

We also have a 500ml 800W electric kettle.

Not the best pic but shows the set up

I think last nights show (if you saw it) gives you plenty reasons why not to cook in the van unless you definately have to and haev no alternative. Pan fried venison It must have stunk the van completely out. And of course those midges, it reminds me of my childhood summers in the West of Scotland