We were so inspired by this story, which came to us in abbreviated form, via Instagram, that we asked if we could publish it.
Mike, the happy pan man said "Yes", so here is his story.
Every summer, we go camping in The Cotswolds.
This is not the Cotswolds...read on.
Mike, the happy pan man said "Yes", so here is his story.
Every summer, we go camping in The Cotswolds.
This is not the Cotswolds...read on.
A
religious journey into Oxford town is always part of the itinerary. During
these visits I stumbled upon a quaint little hardware store called ‘Objects of Use’
This
shop was not your average hardware store but as with the name and the very
practical wares that it boasted, I just loved everything. All items made by
independent manufacturers and small businesses, everything being sustainable
and eco-friendly.
So
2.5yrs ago when I first visited, I was immediately drawn towards the cooking
pots area to the right of the shop, as I browsed over the beautiful items, I
picked up a 10” iron pan. What caught my eye was two little brass wing-nuts
holding the handle to the pan. This immediately appealed to me as an
adventurer, straight away I could see its benefits as an addition to my
overland kitchen box. Benefits of the spun iron design mean that I can cook
with it on any heat source, open fires or gas burners, I could even remove the
handle so that its use extends to an oven tray in my Cobb BBQ! I was smitten by
the design, if it broke I could weld it, it had a good weight to it, also it
would create its own non-stick face after seasoning. More than anything it
would pack away so easily.
As I
enquired to the store owner about the price, £69 seemed a lot for a pan… I
don’t have much money to indulge in such hardware and I’d never paid that much
for a pan, I left the shop slightly deflated but it just played on my mind.
I
visited the shop again and again in the times we visited Oxford. This pan
really had a hold on me, I would touch it and ogle it whilst trying to justify
the purchase as my partner and I are so very frugal with our spending. If we
buy something it has to be justified and won’t be a one use impulse purchase.
Who thought a pan could be so hypnotising???
Surely
enough my partner said to ‘just buy it, you know you want it’ and so I did.
Immediately I was so pleased with it and started to google ‘how to season a
pan’ even though it came with instructions from the manufacturer of which I
totally overlooked!
As
soon as I got home, I spent the neck 3hrs oiling it and baking the empty pan in
the oven until I was happy with the darkened glaze that the pan now had.
Now
2yrs on from the well awaited purchase, the pan has travelled across North
Africa and the Sahara desert amongst other journeys and destinations that I
have driven to in my Expedition prepared Land Rover. The pan is part of my
very important kit as every item needs to be useful, packable and justified. I
can’t just take anything on these adventures as space is a premium.
On
my 3wk expedition across the edge of the Sahara desert, my pan was used nearly
every day on gas and open fires in the evening, it was flawless and easy to
clean. My friend who joined us from the UAE was so impressed that he offered to
buy it from me there and then. At which point I sternly declined and expressed
that ‘hey dude, I have a deep bond with this pan’
I
referenced the quote to him that was once said by Private Pyle in the film
‘Full Metal Jacket’ regarding his gun - ‘This is my gun, there are many like it
but this one is mine’
Well
that’s how I feel about my pan! On my return I did buy him the exact same unit
and mailed to him in Ajman.
In
hindsight this purchase has taught me a valuable lesson about buying items, we
are in a world where everyone wants stuff as cheap as possible. The irony is
that we buy it cheap because it is cheaply made with no integrity and no
sustainability.
My
partner and I now choose our items very carefully, like clothes for example.
Why have a wardrobe full of cheap, poor quality items when you could have a few
very well made and long lasting items?
It’s
the same with this pan, the initial price seemed a lot (to me) but I’ve
realised that this is MY pan FOR LIFE. I’ve also supported 2 independent
businesses within the purchase too.
Thank
you Netherton Foundry.
Yours,
Happy Pan Man.
No comments:
Post a Comment