KITCHEN porter Nick Sturmey has beaten his own record after peeling enough potatoes at The Royal Oak’s annual Pigstock for 700 portions of chips – in one 12-hour shift.

Since the 53-year-old started working at the pub, in Bishopstone, a decade ago, he has peeled an estimated 205,714 spuds to be made into french fries, chucky triple cooked chips, mash, roasties and Dauphinoise potatoes.

On average, Nick has peeled several 25kg bags of potatoes each day to keep customers filled up.

But he spent 12 hours firing through 175kg of the grubby blighters as hundreds of people flocked to the pub for the annual Pigstock mini festival.

Nick, who lives just across from the car park at the pub, said: “I was shocked about how many I’d done when I realised.

“I just get on with it. I’m not really thinking about much apart from just getting the job done.”

Head chef, Paul Winch, said: “We had about six bookings for the lunch service and we were also preparing for the Pigstock during the afternoon.

“We were expecting around 450 people but most of them would have been outside having the hog roast.

“But the restaurant became busy too, with around 40 people wanting to come in for lunch. When we are full we can have 46 bookings and that’s when it becomes a squeeze, but the restaurant can get busy.

“Everyone was asking for chips and some people wanted second helpings too, so Nick just kept on peeling.

“It was amazing. It wasn’t until we got to the end of the day and I realised that eight bags had been peeled that I realised how many he had done.

“He’s quick too, he works at what we call the shop and there are always peelings flying everywhere.”

 

 
 

 

Because peeling potatoes can be so labour intensive most pubs and restaurant buy in pre-peeled and cut chips and potatoes, but Nick can peel a potato in an impressive 18 seconds.

He said it was all down to practice - and a special speed peeler.

“I’ve been doing it for a long time now and you just get used to it,” he said. You always have to concentrate and watch the peeler though, otherwise it can hurt. I’ve had to have my hands patched up a few times.”

Lotte Christensen, manager at the Royal Oak, said: “When Nick goes on holiday we all want to go on holiday because it’s then we realise how much work he does that we have to do while he’s gone.”