January 2014 - Where you can find us

In January we will be trading at only Borough Market - here are the days you can find us

November Dates

Been a while but we have kinda settled into a regular routine which has made us a bit lazy in updating our schedule but here it is for November

Blow Horn with Horn Ok Please

With summer just around the corner we are excited to announce that we will be stocking The Cotswold Cider Company's Blow Horn cider at the Flavours of India Festival this year. Featuring a botanical blend of cinnamon, ginger and clove it is the perfect accompaniment to the Horn Ok Please menu 'toot toot'.

Based in the Cotswolds, The Cotswold Cider Company blends their on organic apples with the best fruit soured and grown locally.

We have a limited stock this weekend so pop down and pick up a bottle along with a dosa or chaat. We are sure it is going to be a hit among everyone but as always let us know what you think.

Flavours of India Alchemy

This time 12 months ago, Horn OK Please took part in Taste of India (now Flavours of India) as part of the Alchemy Festival held at the Southbank Centre (aka Real Food Festival). This was the first major event we had taken part in and was the turning point for us as a business. After last years event the lovely people of Real Food Festival invited us back to a few other festivals in Southbank before we became a permanent trader in September 2012.

If you have not heard about Alchemy here is an expert from their website Alchemy is our annual festival of music, dance, literature, design and debate from India, the UK and South Asia. There are dazzling events for everyone including the mighty Susheela Raman, Hariharan, Anoushka Shankar and circus and aerial performance from the Daksha Sheth Dance Company. See rising stars Harshdeep Kaur and Ash King, and Martin Simpson collaborates with Arieb Azhar. As well as the finest music, enjoy fashion, design, talks, film screenings, markets and incredible food from India.

Highlights in this years program (in our opinion) has to be Hariharan, Alchemy Fashion, Burban Mela presented by DJ Nihal and of course the Flavours of India Food Festival (you will see plenty of photos of Horn ok Please on this site so you will know who to look out for this year). Running from the 12th of April to the 21st of April, expect to find a mouthwatering range of treats from the India subcontinent all at Southbank Square behind the Festival Hall. Whatever your taste buds are craving you are sure to find a wide range of items to satisfy.

As well as our usual Real Food Fest menu of dosa, samosa chaat, pani puri, dhai puri and bhel puri we will also be rotating a range of menu items including Aloo Tikki Chaat and the one we are most excited about, Pav Bhaji.

In addition to our stall we will also be doing a 'Chef Demo' on the 14th of April at 3pm. Last year we presented on the difference of street food vs the general perception of Indian food with a focus on bhel puri. We are still working through ideas for this year's topic so stay tuned.

If you are planning a visit make to stop by and say hello and we would love to see any photos you may take of the event. It is sure to be colourful and fun.

Festival Information: http://www.realfoodfestival.co.uk/festivals/taste-of-india/festival-information
Demos and entertainment: http://www.realfoodfestival.co.uk/festivals/taste-of-india/demos-and-entertainment
Food and drinks: http://www.realfoodfestival.co.uk/festivals/taste-of-india/food-and-drink

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We need some friendly faces

So things are hotting up (maybe not literally) at HOP HQ. We are gearing up for a busy spring/summer period and are looking for friendly faces to join our team.

At Horn Ok Please we not only serve up delicious Indian Street Food but also love interacting with customers. So we need market staff who can learn the ropes quickly and have great communication skills. Interest in food, especially Indian food is important. Any experience in sales, particularly in a market setting would be a bonus.

You will need to be responsible and energetic and willing to set up and pack up the stall (and gazebo). Most of the food prep is done in our kitchen and will be delivered to the stall location with all the equipment. Some light prep will be required at the stall itself. After set up tasks will involve managing the till and taking and preparing orders. At busy pitches you will need to think and act on your feet and take decisions quickly. You will need to work well in a team and will be trained in the full process from start to finish.

While you will be working with either Gaurav or Sandhya initially we are looking for people who would be willing and capable of managing stalls on their own or with additional staff.

We are passionate about our business and our food and you will be working a sociable environment in some of London's most vibrant markets.

Market locations include:

• Borough Market (approx 5 to 6 hours per shift)
• Kerb (King's Cross, Gherkin, City Point) (approx 5 hours per shift)
• Real Food Fest (Southbank) (approx 6 to 8 hours per shift)
• Various other London locations as the need arises

Most of our pitches are over the lunch period but as the need arises there will be some night markets and events. We also do catering and these may be evening events. Therefore some flexibility in terms terms of workings hours will be required.

If you are interested in joining our team please email us on sandhya@hop.st and we can arrange a time for you to drop by at a market to meet us. Should be able to start as soon as possible.

March Dates

Here are our dates for March. Looks like a crazy few weeks ahead for Horn Ok Please.

Here is a photo from February that have made us smile through the snow, rain, heavy winds and even sunshine. Taken at the mini farm at The Real Food Fest.

New Market Location

When I arrived in London from Australia I would visit Borough Market near London Bridge Station regularly wondering if I was early enough to beat the crowds. Always starting my visit with a coffee from Monmouth and making sure I don't leave without my weeks ration of Comte from the Borough Cheese Company. I loved wandering through the stalls and stopping for a picnic lunch on the grounds of Southwark Cathedral.

When Gaurav and I were initially researching potential markets for Horn Ok Please we visited Borough Market (along with a dozen others) and dreamt of a day we would join the  market life, be it at Borough or any market that would have us. Now 15 months after starting Horn Ok we have landed a spot within Borough Market's new Lunch Market.

The market operates between 10am and 5pm Monday to Wednesday with traders serving up delicious lunches from pies to jerk chicken and now Indian Street Food. The Lunch market is located within the Green Market section next to the Southwark Cathedral.

Our menu for the market will initially include:

Moong Dal Dosa (filled with potato and served with chenna chaat and chutneys)

Aloo Tikki Chaat (spiced potato patties topped with chenna, chutneys, sev, red onions and pomegranate)

Pani Puri (puffed crispy 'bread' filled with potato, date and tamarind chutney, mint and coriander chutney, kala chenna, chaat masala and the all important pani which is a mixture of masala, lime, water and chutney)

Dhai Puri (similar to pani puri but milder - 'bread' is filled with potato, date and tamarind chutney, kala chenna, yogurt, chaat masala and topped with sev and pomegranate)

What more can you ask for for a delicious, fresh, vegetarian lunch. Pop in if you work in the area or passing by. Help us settle into our new home. 

While here we will also be at Kerb King's Cross every Wednesday and Real Food Fest every Friday to Sunday. 

February Calendar

Here is our February Calendar. You can catch us at Real Food Fest (behind the Royal Festival Hall) all month as well as Kerb in KX every Wednesday and on Valentines Day at the Gherkin. Make sure to stop by for all your Indian Street Food cravings. Menu will include: Dosa served with Chenna Chaat, Bhel Puri and either Aloo Tikki Chaat or Samosa Chaat.

Pop up at The Grafton

On Friday the 11th of January HOP will be testing out a new pop up menu at The Grafton in Kentish Town.

Our menu includes some of our stall favourites as well as some new dishes. As with all our dishes we  have not focused on one region of India, rather we have put together a menu that showcases the best of Indian Street Food.

For those who have not been The Grafton is a new independent pub opened in 2012. It has quickly become a local favourite for its cozy community feel and welcoming team. 

New Year and More Winter Warming Food