The Rural Voice, 1978-09, Page 20The Voice of A Farmer
by Adrian Vos
Next time you go to Toronto, be sure to go the "Dixie Plaza"
just south of the Oueen Elizabeth on Dixie Street. At that Plaza
you will find the largest supermart in all of North America. When
you come from the plaza to go to Knob Hill Farms supermart,
you pass a fast food restaurant with a mouth watering menu. The
name: "Pork Pickins". The food: "Out of this World." The
Owner and operator: "The pork producers of Ontario." The
world has been waiting for this pork specialty restaurant for
sometime, and Steve Stavros, the owner of Knob Hill is so
convinced that a pork restaurant is a success that he offered the
location exclusively to the Ontario Pork Producer's Association.
This little restaurant. it seats 46 customers. is planned to be
the first in a chain of pork outlets across the nation and, who
knows. the world. I don't know of any previous collective effort
by producers of farm products to sell their product directly to the
public in this manner. This is a direct competition to MacDonalds
and being a pork producer myself, 1 am firmly convinced that we
will be invincible. This first "Pickins" will have 30.000 potential
customers come by 'tt's' doors and John Howell. the promotion
manager of the pork men. expects that 3.000 of them will stop by
to pick up an item, such as different buns or pork -burgers for less
than a dollar. Or for more hungry people there are spare ribs
with cole slaw, french fries and a roll with butter for a mere
$2.45: a pork schnitzel for $1.85 or other goodies. In the
meanttme,research is seeking new and old recipes for the plate of
future gourmet customers.
What would you think of mouth -dripping old English Pork pie,
and sausages? John Spendlove, the operations manager is
working on it. He says that he got the recipes from his grandma.
After a promotion campaign of several years. financed by
Ontario's hog producers. most shoppers are now aware that
Ontario pork is tops in quality. and the Pork Pickins restaurant
will ensure that only Ontario pork is used.
This fast food outlet however, is only part of the story of pork
farmers doing their own thing. Soon a more prestigious
restaurant will open its doors to discerning palates and the pork
people are negotiating the rental of a place right opposite the CN
tower, across the street,in a new theater that 's still to be built.
Then there is "Patty's Ribs'n Things" in Oakville. This is
privately owned and since it is pork specialty outlet. the pork
assocsation people are happy to help where ever they can. The
more copying, the happier we will be, for all we want is to get
Imre people to buy pork. It seems that many hotels and
restaurants are reluctant to place pork on their menu. This is
somewhat difficult to understand, for4he shopping housewife
buys a high percentage of pork for home cooking. Hopefully. a
successful Pork restaurant chain will make the big chefs take a
second look. Pork people in other provinces are already taking a
second look, for the Manitoba pork producers have asked Mr.
Howell to come and explain the concept to them.
There is good news for the consumer as well, for the
management plans to vary the price with the market price of
slaughter hogs. How's that for non -rip -off.
I hope to meet you some time at Pork Pickins, munchin' a
"pork dog" (a hotdog with cheese wrapped in bacon) 95c, or
sitting down with a quiche Lorraine.
PG.20 THE RURAL VOICE/SEPTEMBER 1978
HELM WELDING LIMITED
RR 2, Lucknow
1/2 mile south of Lucknow
r
529-7627
Feed tanks are built of
14 gauge metal, paint-
ed blue. They are
ruggedly reinforced
with heavy angle iron
ring and legs. All
tanks are of side draw
l off design. Capacity:
sizes range from 4 to
16 tons. Prices include
ladder, blow pipe for
filling, manhole and
inspection glass. Re-
quires concrete pad
base 91/2' x 91/2'
square, 10" deep,
reinforced with steel.
We also specialize in
building gravity boxes
farm wagons, 3 -pt.
hitch scraper blades,
and general fabric-
ation.
•
Farm Gates
Two Styles, Stock sizes to 18 ft.
I t
Also Manufacturer of:
Apron Type Cattle Oilers
"Big Bale" feeder
Stock Feeders
Convection Fireplace Heaters
HEIDELBERG
IRON WORKS
Cedar St., W., St. Jacobs, Ontario Phone664-2820
VISIT ON DISPLAY AT THE
INTERNATIONAL PLOWING MATCH