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.
FOOD & DRINK
Do You Remember Huckleberry's Burger Bar?
Do You Remember Huckleberry's Burger Bar?
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Mick amos
on
I loved the one at Turnpike Lane, North London near the snooker hall. it was just like a macdonalds only so much better. Their quarter pounders or Huckleburgers tasted fantastic, coated with this sort of white mayo sauce all over the crisp lettuce. I have never tasted any burger better anywhere in all the years since and the milkshakes and fries were amazing too. I was absolutely gutted when they closed down and couldn't understand it because just everybody I knew in the surrounding area preferred it to macdonalds. I just assumed that mac,s must have paid them off to close down before they got too big and become a major threat to them. Anyhow even after all these years I still keep hoping they will somehow magically reappear and start trading again. A forlorn hope I suppose now. Why do all the good things in life disappear?
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Jojo1
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Omg. I used to work there on a Saturday. I loved it so much. And yes the huckleburger was yum. We were always so busy it was a shame that they closed down. Do you remember when worzel gummidge visited the store?
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arrow276
on
There was one right by Upton Park Station in the early eighties the milkshake i can't forget sadly no one remembers it so I thought I was on my own till I stumbled on this. It's 0426 tuesday morning and I feel good that this memory of their milkshakes is legit!
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Chenobi
on
I remember it. Before McDonalds. My mum said Worzel Gummidge appeared there once, but I was too scared to meet him.
Was it on the corner just past the station?
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russ
on
I remember it well as I worked for litho company at the time and made loads of printing plates for the point of sale and promotions. Was beginningto think I'd imagined it as it was so long ago no one seems to remember it!
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Tintern22
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remember it well,Had one in wood gree high st North London,Loved it.Mc Donald's killed it off sadly.
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pin303
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I remember that there was one in Brighton but everyone I talk to about can't remember either they had H shaped ice in the drinks
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badger
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The day we opened the store in Brighton a load of protesters rushed in as we opened the doors with placards proclaiming 'eating meat is murder'!.. great!
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highsprits99@hotmail
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i used to work in there branch in dartford kent right in the middle of town centre i continued to work there when it turned into wimpy was my first job ,happy days
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Cromer
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I were there when it first opened, chaos, but I loved the decor and the colors, wow, talk about memory lane !!!!!
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jaystar21
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the song went like this ...u may have been to timbuktu, or up the nile in a canoe but if u haven't been to hucklberrys u just ain't lived i was 5 i remember the crocodile too lol i was afraid off it on the set, id love too see that advert again
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badger
on
Well remembered....I was on the set when the ad was made..... I was Head of Training for Huckleberrys... happy days.
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brianjeasley
on
Hello,
My name is Brian Easley, I'm with an american outfit called Druther's, we were the company that brought Huckleberry's Burger Bar across the pond from America so many years ago. I was wondering if you still had any photographs of your time there or the store, uniforms, etc?
I'm working on a kind of company history project, and am reaching out to everyone I can to talk about their experiences and see their photos and memorabilia.
Best wishes from Kentucky,
-Brian Easley
Vice President, Druther's
contact@drutherssystems.com
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sjk4158
on
Bob is that you - make contact its been too long!
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jaystar21
on
i remember it well i was the boy with the family in kilts climbing the mountain in the advert
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slater.
on
Huckleberry's.... Yep, i remembered them, use to work for them,as a crew member as they call them, then as a floor manager. The first one was in wood green north london, opened routhly 1980. Came from america. But they hated to being compared to macs. From memory, the menu were; hamburgers, cheeseburgers, doublecheese burgers, doubledeckers; like macs' Big mac; come to think of it, it was just like the Big mac, fillet of fish, which was a fillet of fish, fried in a batter till crispy, between two toasted buns; the size of the huckleburger bun, with a kind of tartar sauce, bloody nice too! Then threr was the huckleburger. 1/4 pounder burger
mayo' sauce, tomatoes, fresh onions, lettice, and pickles, all on a toasted bun, (it was common pactice to grill two 1/4 poundersfor your lunch break; if you you could get away with it), oh, and i think with cheese as well. Then there was the fried chicken.
Was a good place to work; most of the time! Met some really good people, and worked with not so good people.
I remembered the late actor, John pertwee came to the store, in his role as Worzel Gummidge, VERY popular tv programe at the time, and the only way you get to see him, was through a special invite. Wood Green high road came to a halt, as half of tottenham came to see him, in his open bus. Poor man was nearly mobbed, but what a gentleman he was. Liked him alot. remembered the ad on tv; (abit pants really)....
In the ad was a head of a fake hippo, to which it took its pride of place, on the counter in the store.
Great portland street in central london was the Head office. Worked also at Sheperds Bush store, and at Totenham Court Road store, while training as a Manager.
Tottenham Court Road was good also, because we supplied chicken meals, at the Astoria Theatre; if memory again serves me well, the musical Yackety Yack, featuring the group Darts, and i think the Mcgann Brothers. Didn't last long, but a good bunch of people.
And if memory sevres me right (again), the first srore manager at wood green, wasd a guy called Gary David, i think.
Huckleberrys was sold to wimpys' in about 1984ish, which was then sold to burger king.
And yes, the milk shakes was to die for.
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badger
on
Think you will find the first manager was Gary Davis
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BUGS
on
as you worked there and the company was so popular why did they close there doors on every outlet in the u k
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brianjeasley
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We converted our company in the U.S. to the Dairy Queen chain and all the international operations closed down I believe
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pat1012
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when you left huckleberry in shepherds bush who took over. or who was the next store.
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BOMBA777
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The fish sandwich didn't come in a bun, it was two slices of bread (with caraway seeds.) It was the best fish anything I have ever had...and I've had fish everything.
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Kevster1964
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I worked at Tottenham Court Road 1984/85. I remember the store managers name as Jo Fulgoni. Top man
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Indigogroup
on
I remember the burger chain Huckleberry's as I was working as a manager in the industry during the 1980's. I never worked for Huckleberry's as they weren't around for very long. I only ate in a Huckleberry's once, their food was excellent, burgers like McDonalds chicken like KFC and lots more all under one roof. I don't know anything about them as a company.They were opening everywhere at one time but didn't last long, there were lots of take overs etc at this time and I think they were bought out by another chain. I do not remember Burger King being around in the UK at this time. The main companies were Wimpy,McDonalds,Wendy's,King Burger. I do still remember their TV adverts, they were the only company at the time to show their thick shakes without lids on the cups, they looked more like huge ice creams than shakes.
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annieryan82
on
Hi,
I remember it .. used to be one in Shepherds Bush and as an extra special treat we would go there!
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pat1012
on
was it a wimpys after?
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