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Huckleberry's Burger Bar

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Does anyone remember Huckleberry's? It was like a Wimpy. There used to be one in Putney, London, in the early 1980s. There was an advert on the TV which used to go, "But have you ever been to Huckleberry's, you just ain't lived!" It's driving me mad because nobody remembers it!! I used to love their huckleburgers. Huckleberry's were a fast food chain owned by Grand Metropolitan with outlets in London and the South East, Oxford St, Tottenham Court Road, Queensway, Wood Green, Sheperds Bush, Putney, Lewisham, Southend, Crawley, Brighton, Portsmouth, Southhampton, Northhampton and Oxford. I worked with them as a Duty Manager from 1983 to 1985. QSC, Quality, Service and Cleanliness were the words and actions that have kept me in work ever since.They tried to compete with the competition by breading fresh chicken, battering fresh cod and their own take on burgers. Huckleburger, Doubledecker, cheese and hamburger, fries, onion rings, apple pie and milkshakes were also on the menu. The colour scheme was red and white but changed to blue and white for the new stores. Chuckleberry the clown with Christopher Biggins as a side kick was the mascot. I have fond memories of working with some great people. We worked as a team, hard work but fun. I was there for the takeover by Wimpy, but it was not the same atmosphere.

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Do You Remember Huckleberry's Burger Bar?

Do You Remember Huckleberry's Burger Bar?

  • Anonymous user
    on
    Dartford started as a wimpy and then became Huckleberry 's then altered to a Burger King. Then Burger King closed and four years later became a Wimpy again. Our other two wimpys closed with one becoming Starburgers and other became an independent known as The Diner and then KFC
  • Anonymous user
    on
    Hi I was supervisor at Huckleberry's Watford, Hertfordshire. I loved working there made great friends. Is there any one on here that worked at the Watford store
  • Anonymous user
    on
    Huckleberry’s At Southampton . I used to be Duty Manager In 1982/83.
    • Anonymous user
      on
      I worked in Southampton for one night. A few of us from Watford run the store so you lot so you could go out for your Christmas do. Had a great time.
    • Anonymous user
      on
      I worked in Southampton for one night. A few of us from Watford run the store so you lot so you could go out for your Christmas do. Had a great time.
    • Anonymous user
      on
      I worked in Southampton for one night. A few of us from Watford run the store so you lot so you could go out for your Christmas do. Had a great time.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I used to work in the Northampton branch of these in the 80’s, the huckleburger was always my favourite at break time and my biggest memory is almost falling through the skylight above the customer toilets whilst storing rubbish on the roof in the snow!!!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I was in London in August 1982, we went to Huckleberrys a couple of times. I had come from a small mining. Was Huckleberrys a Burger King spin off? I live in Australia now, we have Hungry Jacks here which is part of the Burger King thing.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    Not only do I remember it I loved it my local one was on the edge of woodgreen and turnpike lane Huckleberrys goes and yet the Golden Arches survive pizzaland chain disappears and dominos pops up why is this, if I like something it vanishes if I pick a horse avoid it like the plague cos it’s gonna be a loser
  • Anonymous user
    on
    Started my 1st job after Uni as trainee manager in 1983. Interviewed at HO on Grt. Portland St. by Bob Shearer and David Chong. Trained 6 weeks at Lewisham under a Chinese manager. Moved to Wood Green under an elderly Italian manager. Then to Watford as duty manager under Francis Addy (became really good mates). Met John Barnes there as he played for Watford then. Then moved to Oxford street under Paul Chawla.. sharpe guy. Did training at Tottenham Ct.Rd under Koe Figoni and his assist an arab Mohamed i think. Then promoted to Asst manger then manager at Southend all within a year of starting. Then got called to go to Posthouse Hotel at Heathrow to be told H is sold to UB and Wimpy. My area managers were Mike Newton, Maqool Shah (ex Mcdonalds). Got transferred to Chef and Brewer after sold to wimpey with Francis and Mike to open food court in new Eastgate centre in Basildon Absolutetly loved Hbrys.. best fish in rye Bread. Made our own coleslaw on site and cut the fish. Fried Chicken was lovely. God I miss those days. Thanks to Huckleberry my manager career in catering started almost to this day.
    • Anonymous user
      on
      Hi Ashmuji :) Funnily enough- I was thinking about the good old days! I was searching the internet for Huckleberrys to see if there was any articles. I worked at Huckleberrys the same time. I remember Frances. He was a great guy. It was a great team at Watford. I stayed for a few more years when it became Wimpy but always say the Huckleburger was the best. I remember Maqool Shah too. We used to call him Mac. I remember going to Southend when it first opened - Frances had moved from Watford to Southend. Great days :)
      • Anonymous user
        on
        Hi Rickster Great to hear from you. I remember a bunch of guys came down to see me and Francis from Watford. An indian girl and 2 -3 others. They stayed overnight at a house me and Francis lived at The only people I remember from Watford were two fiends Avril and Siobhan and a chinese supervisor. We used to go to Baileys a few times. Francis and I got pushed into the pond once after a night out!! ahsanahmedi@aol.com
        • Anonymous user
          on
          Hi Ashmuji, I was the Indian girl :) I remember the night at Baileys when you ended up i the pond! . When we came to see you there was also a couple called Andrea and her boyfriend Donato. I also remember in Southend out in the evening and Francis has just passed his driving test and took us out for a drink. He ended up getting arrested because he drove the wrong way up a one way street and hit a skip or something! :) The Chinese supervisor was called Lo Chi I think. I do remember her - she interviewed me white standing by the tills. :)
          • Anonymous user
            on
            great to hear from you Rikster... Lo Chi it was. Do you remember Dympna and Avril? I remember you.. I think I tried to shut you in the walk-in chiller just as a laugh!!! Donato rings a bell but cant put a face to him. email me... we can catch up on life and days at Hucks.... ahsanahmedi@aol.com
    • Anonymous user
      on
      I use to be the training coordinator for all the new stores - Bob Shearer and Johnny Cheung were my managers. Mukul Shah was one of my best friends, sadly he died just before his 40th birthday, Joe Fulgone was the manager who came from McDonalds, as we all did.
      • Anonymous user
        on
        I worked with Johnny Cheung. We used to play card poker on a Friday night at his place above the Lewisham branch, where I worked in 1984-1985 before it was closed down and I migrated to the Oxford Street branch which became a Wimpy. I enjoyed working there too as people were from all over the world. It was my first experience of working with so many wonderful people in a big happy family ( from Nigeria, Ghana, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japanese, Brazil, Morocco, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, England, America, Ireland, Canada, Sudan, Dominica, Jamaica. Names I remember include, George, Francis, Aggie, Francine, Loichi, Hassan, Tom, Khalil, Maha, Lela, Trevor, Desmond, Johnny Cheung, at Oxford Street, and Mervil, Tom and Laura from Lewisham.
      • Anonymous user
        on
        I worked with Johnny Cheung. We used to play card poker on a Friday night at his place above the Lewisham branch, where I worked in 1984-1985 before it was closed down and I migrated to the Oxford Street branch which became a Wimpy. I enjoyed working there too as people were from all over the world. It was my first experience of working with so many wonderful people in a big happy family ( from Nigeria, Ghana, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japanese, Brazil, Morocco, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, England, America, Ireland, Canada, Sudan, Dominica, Jamaica. Names I remember include, George, Francis, Aggie, Francine, Loichi, Hassan, Tom, Khalil, Maha, Lela, Trevor, Desmond, Johnny Cheung, at Oxford Street, and Mervil, Tom and Laura from Lewisham.
      • Anonymous user
        on
        I worked with Johnny Cheung. We used to play card poker on a Friday night at his place above the Lewisham branch, where I worked in 1984-1985 before it was closed down and I migrated to the Oxford Street branch which became a Wimpy. I enjoyed working there too as people were from all over the world. It was my first experience of working with so many wonderful people in a big happy family ( from Nigeria, Ghana, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japanese, Brazil, Morocco, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, England, America, Ireland, Canada, Sudan, Dominica, Jamaica.
      • Anonymous user
        on
        I worked with Johnny Cheung. We used to play card poker on a Friday night at his place above the Lewisham branch, where I worked in 1984-1985 before it was closed down and I migrated to the Oxford Street branch which became a Wimpy. I enjoyed working there too as people were from all over the world. It was my first experience of working with so many wonderful people in a big happy family.
    • Anonymous user
      on
      I think you got a few names wrong here, Training Manager is Jonny Chong, he later base in Lewisham as their training HQ, as in TCR, the manager's name is Joe, he is a weird breed but a great manager.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I have very fond memories of working at Huckleberry’s in Commercial Road Portsmouth from 1984 – 1985. We did most of our training in Brighton and also at Oxford Street. I was on the evening shift on the first day of opening – we were just winding down at 10.30 to close at 11 and then there was a deluge of customers from the Depeche Mode gig at Portsmouth Guildhall that night. I got absolutely swamped in the kitchen on my own and the queue was out the door. I remember being on the grill doing a Turn-Lay-12 for around 4 hours on Christmas eve. Loved the camaraderie of the team and the fish n chips were heavenly. There is a certain smell of dill pickle that can transport me back 35 years. Sadly I had to chuck in the life on the grill to become an accountant.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I worked at Huckleberrys, Bargate, Southampton in 1982. Was the place to go before Burger King opened up on the other side of the precinct and later Macdonalds opened opposite. Had a great time, hard work but good team. Everyone started as a trainee manager and then got assigned to washing up! I remember Southampton v Celtic when Celtic supporters came in and cooked their own burgers as we were too slow. We just let them get on with it as did the police. Happy memories. Steve Cross.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I worked at Huckleberry's between 1983 to 1985.Worked up to Duty Mgr starting in London,moved to Oxford then opened Brighton.Worked with some great people and the atmosphere was hard work but fun.The company training was excellent with QSC ,Quality,Service and Cleanliness at the heart of it.They sold some great food ,freshly breaded chicken ,freshly fried fish and burgers.It was meant to cater for all the needs of a family who could eat three types of fast food in one place.There was a lot of food preparation involved which meant a higher labour cost against a better food product.We had ex McDonald Mgrs who could not believe the amount of labour cost and time spent on food prep.I was there when it was sold to United Biscuits and became Wimpy.The food was not the same and the camaraderie had gone.In London I worked at TCR Tottenham Court Road ,Oxford Street,Queensway,Putney,Lewisham,Portsmouth,Oxford and Brighton.Would love to reminisce with old colleagues and any one with questions fire away.
    • Anonymous user
      on
      Hi , I used to be a shift manager at Northampton. We always came to you in Oxford when we ran out of buns usually. About the same time, later maybe by a year, 1984 onwards for sure. When grand met sold out to United biscuits it spelt the end with Wimpey being a new starter in the fast food rather then sit down market. So many stories to tell I’m sure. Do you remember the hucklebirgler!
    • Anonymous user
      on
      Hi , I used to be a shift manager at Northampton. We always came to you in Oxford when we ran out of buns usually. About the same time, later maybe by a year, 1984 onwards for sure. When grand met sold out to United biscuits it spelt the end with Wimpey being a new starter in the fast food rather then sit down market. So many stories to tell I’m sure. Do you remember the hucklebirgler!
    • Anonymous user
      on
      Hi , I used to be a shift manager at Northampton. We always came to you in Oxford when we ran out of buns usually. About the same time, later maybe by a year, 1984 onwards for sure. When grand met sold out to United biscuits it spelt the end with Wimpey being a new starter in the fast food rather then sit down market. So many stories to tell I’m sure. Do you remember the hucklebirgler!
      • Anonymous user
        on
        I went to your restaurant after watching Monty Python. I had the best cheeseburger ever and strawberry milkshake.

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