FighterControl

As we near the Whitsun weekend my thoughts once again turn towards the memories of those Air Fete weekends, of what was and what could have been!
One main ingredient for me and for many others which made the weekend complete was a 'Wet Burger'.

Now, I love nothing more than to fire up my barbecue in the garden on a hot summers day and recreate that Mildenhall smell, but getting that authentic Air Fete burger taste is another matter! I was wondering if anyone else has had any luck trying to recreate an Air Fete 'Wet Burger', and which burgers and sauces did you use?
The closest burgers which I have found are called 'Paragon Gourmet Burgers' from Bookers cash & carry served up in a seeded burger bun with a dollop of 'Hunts' barbecue sauce inside! .. Luverly

I'd love to hear about any other home cooked 'Wet Burgers' that fellow FC'ers have cooked up!

I've made myself hungry now

TankBuster

Someone on UKAR served at Mildenhall back in the 80s and 90s said it was Hunts BBQ sauce mixed with some Bud. A mate brought some Hunts back from the US last year. So last year we had a family BBQ and recreated it. Didn't get the consistency right but it was close

Needs to be cooked in a cut down JP-4 barrel. Happy days.

Great memories of porking out on double digit burgers

I think they needed to be 'aged' on a C-141 across the Atlantic!

Oh boy, flashback...
Mid to late 80s at RAF laarbruch in Germany, on the Squadrons, it used to be frequent party days and BBQ
No idea where they came from, but they were HUGE, bits of salad leaf, Tomato and 'mit mayo'
We had a young mech who wasn't brilliant at work, but he was 'King of the Barbie' - strange he did almost 6 yrs on Station!!!
All washed down with 'Wobbly and Bratties'
I was told "Don't take the P!*s out of Bud, or it won't taste of anything"...

Wouldn't it be great if Mildenhall had one last Air Fete on the bank holiday weekend as a finale before it closes ( if it does indeed close)

Brilliant shows! I've been posting all my old photos from the Air Fetes on the Facebook page. Jets, Buds, Burgers, Hot Dogs & Doughnuts and of course friendly Americans. The best showmen!!

Who remembers the Polish Sausages, they always sold out early !
Have tried various so called “Polish Sausages” since but have never succeeded in matching the taste.

Phil

I wasn't too keen on the "horses dick"

Polish sausages made the best hot-dogs without doubt. And the other act for those of us who went inside on the Saturdays was to see how many un-opened Buds we could get out in the camera-bags for the following day when filming the flying displays from JKH or runway 11 end. They were also larger than cans sold in the U.K.- 375ml v. 330?
Roger

Yes they were bigger cans

Who did the chocolate chip cookie stalls at Mildenhall ? mmmmm

I've heard so much about these burgers! As someone who never had the chance to try them they sound like the stuff of legend - might try the sauce recipe when I next get the chance!

Had my first taco at Mildenhall Air Fete 1982 - very exotic back in those days.

Seem to recall those chocolate chip cookies were the size of dinner plates (well almost).

Alan

One word to describe em, Awsome. And yes it helps if done on a cut down barrel Lol.

Cheers
John 'flightpath'.

stop it guys. I can smell and taste the fumes those were the days and those relishers were something else, the Fete fell on my birthday once 24th May and friends used to ply me with bud and burgers near all day. days of future past.

I really miss those shows :-(

Just reading this thread evokes the smell,taste and atmosphere of those great days, much missed but certainly not forgotten! I think one ingredient you can't do at home is that atmosphere, including the haze of smoke from those BBQs, which you can notice in some of the pics! and the calling and banter from the BBQ crews, wish I was Dr Who!

Good Morning.

Oh how I wish they'd bring back the atmosphere of those days....

Apparently, there were 2 different sauces used over the years on both Air Fete and IAT for "wet burgers". One was Hunts and the other was KC Masterpiece. This has been discussed on a few websites and I cant find the exact thread at this time. I have tried to get this taste and have got it pretty close!!

I have found a place in the UK to buy the BBQ sauces; https://usgroceries.co.uk/products/food ... bq-sauces/

I will try and find the page where it was discussed in great detail and revert back and re-post it later.

Have a go and enjoy!!

Loved the burgers, but my over-riding memory from the food stalls involves Budweiser.

My mate Alan (RIP old son...) was very Scottish and VERY religious! We were at Lakenheath in the mid 80's for the air show. I ordered Alan a burger and a bud... He almost fainted and asked if it was normal to drink at 0930...

I assured him it was - he drank it - but I suspect he confessed all when he got to St Mary's!