Here we go folks! It’s the Hickory's team road trip & this year 23 of the team made their way across the pond to Texas to explore the finest smokin’ BBQ the Deep South has to offer.

The flight was spent talking about BBQ & margaritas (along with celebrating Liam, our Head Chef in West Kirby’s birthday). Everyone was fired up, excited to learn about the culture and to create some lasting memories.

Time to Tour & Tacos…

We made it through customs. Even making friends with a band called Dry Cleaning the guys from ‘Sizzlefest’ BBQ Festival in Southampton. Our home for the next few days Arrive hotel – but we didn’t stay in the rooms for long. First stop Whislers for a quick drink before heading to a taco bar called Lichas where we were greeted by Miguel. He’d been there for 9 years & really showed us what being passionate is all about & our first spicy margarita of the trip.

We’ve been raising our taco game on the Hickory’s menu recently so we tried them all. Beef, pork & our favourite red snapper & the chilli ruined us – our bravery was misplaced as we were floored for a good 30 mins. But we still washed them down with a spicy margarita, complete with sliced jalapenos.

Sites, Smells & Stiles Switch…

Day 2 kicked off with a photo opp at the Austin wall & then to Stiles Switch. We were greeted by old friends Lance & Dwayne, and got in line for barbecue (we met local sheriff Steve who loves the place). Our trays were loaded with; brisket, spare ribs, pork belly burnt ends, smoked pichna with chimichurri. For the sides; potato salad, slaw, tater tots, casserole, braised brussels sprouts – everything was unreal.

Then it was time for a smoker tour – we met the gang. Ryan smokin’ sausages, Antony on logs & brisket, Jose on smokers & were reacquainted with their smokers – they’re all named. To see how they do it, the dedication, the art of smoking & to learn from them was incredible.

From how they trim the brisket prior to smoking, the white oak logs they use (they turn them within the smokers). Finally they kiss & cuddle all the smoked meats with an apple cider spritz for moisture & melt-in-your-mouth vibes.

Time for a palate cleanser with a few scoops of ice-cream & at Boozy Scoop (the axe throwing & self-serve beer looked pretty cool) before we headed to Lone Star Ranch.

Let The Battle Commence…

Activity time! Our hosts cowgirls Tina & Sydney. Clay pigeon shooting, archery, axe & knife throwing. BOH v FOH. Chefs vs. Managers. First activity clay pigeon shooting. BOH took an early lead 6-4 thanks to Head Chef Luke from Stafford. Archery saw FOH claw it back – thanks to Burton Green’s GM Emma. Then onto axe & knife throwing. With BOH being experts in the kitchen with knives it was no surprise they came up top. They celebrated the win with Arnold Palmers (sweet tea & lemonade).

As we were leaving we bumped into food reviewer ‘Eating with Tod’ so had to have a couple of pics.

Finally Franklins…

There was only one place we wanted to go that evening – Franklins. We’d only bagged the place to ourselves. Pitmasters Steve, Jason & Nick gave us a smoker tour & we got acquainted with Mork, Windy, Muchacha & Shorty (could he be named after our own pitmaster Shorty in Wilmslow!). These guys work overnight & they use mustard to bind the salt & pepper.

Desserts didn’t disappoint either. Texas pecan pie, Ruby’s dang pie (love the name), bourbon banana pie & key lime tart. Maybe we should raise our pie game! All enjoyed with sweet tea from their help-yourself station. (We cannot wait until Spring to have some fun with our sweet teas).

In such an iconic place we took the opportunity to celebrate some of our own team who live & breathe our values. Craig received ‘Authentic’, Sophie & Neil ‘Passionate’ & Mara ‘Community’.

Rainey Street…

It’s tradition on a Hickory’s road trip to hit Rainey Street. Think bungalows that are now bars & food truck lining the street. Plus, it was Halloween so the décor & costumes took it to the next level. First stop Lustre Pearl then Parlor Room (lots of dancing) before Half Step cocktail bar for an espresso martini. And no night on Rainey Street is complete without hitting up a food truck. The fried chicken with creole mayo & ranch dip did no disappoint.

New Day & New Discoveries…

New for the Hickory’s road trip is LeRoy & Lewis. A smokehouse with an Asian fusion twist. LeRoy was hosting, he was so open & honest answering all our questions. He recommended the beef cheeks. The queue was long, and we waited 45 mins – but it was worth it. We went for the beef cheeks (it was mind-blowing), flat iron & cauliflower burnt ends. The star of the show was the sides – kale Caesar slaw, grain-bow salad, beef fat potato chips, kimchi, Texas red-chilli frito pie, pork hash & rice and chori-papas. Colourful, tasty & unique. Each with a different flavour profile. Cheddar cheesecake with apple butter & a cheese crisp definitely the top dessert. We loved their shakes glasses – maybe one for our Freakshakes & who would have thought we’d be sippin’ on frozen Sangria – could we complete out frozen line-up with this?

Lockhart – the Bar-B-Que Capital of Texas…

The Lockhart triangle was next. Smittys market, Blacks & Kruez market – the centre of Texas BBQ culture for over a 100 years. Blacks has 5 generations of pitmasters & Kruez is home to the famous Roy Perez (you can find pictures of him in our restaurants).

Smitty’s market is old school. Old brick built pits – very different from everywhere else we’d been.

Next up Blacks – they were celebrating the late Edgar Blacks 99^th birthday. 3^rd generation pitmaster Kent Black was in, he was being filmed by a local film crew. We gate crashed & got involved, Kent gave an impromptu smoker tour behind the scenes. And we got to try the ‘dino rib’!

On arrival at Kruez we got into the mood singing along to the band – Sweet Caroline. Another smoker tour, this time from Jason, including a trip onto the roof to view the huge wood pile.

BBQ Fest…

Our last visit to the Lockhart ‘BBQ Monthly’ Fest was 2022 & it was so good to be back. Think smokers lining the square, BBQ, drinks, stalls, music & the whole town! We got stuck in tasting, trying & talking. Sabrina had a halal BBQ stall - her tip. Use the trimmings for meatloaf. We even got a shout out from Bido & Kevin the hosts on Sun Radio. We soaked up the atmosphere, loaded up on merch & tried as much as we could.

That evening we visited Spinning Buns – Austin’s first sealed burger. Pretty much a burger, in a bun, in a bun press to seal it. The sweet flavours hit the mark too. PBJ, S’mores & Nutella – maybe one for the Hickory’s dessert menu.

Gospel Brunch…

The last day & an incredible Gospel brunch at Stubbs. Smoked meats & a family gospel group – what a combo. We had a try of the brisket, smoked sausage, chicken & the even got up on stage. GM Jim was on stage, mic in hand – maybe he’ll be bringing this back to Hickory’s Shrewsbury.

What a way to finish the Hickory's team road trip.

We absorbed the culture, we were welcomed like old friends into restaurants, bars & BBQ joints. And, we made new friends & reacquainted ourselves with old faces. It was an honour & a privilege to meet & learn from some of the best pitmasters out there. We tasted & sipped our way around Austin, and we came home fuelled with ideas & a passion ignited. Most of all we experienced genuine Southern hospitality for real. We loved every minute of this trip, made memories for life & can’t wait to share everything with our Hickory’s family & our incredible guests.

Thanks Texas. You never disappoint.

Here’s to the next year & the Hickory team road trip. Until then, let’s see what ideas will make it onto our menus & into our restaurants.