PICTURED: Silken Strings fiddle up a storm at Mere.
It’s been on the cards for some time and now it’s official: The AVA’s ‘Best National Vending Operator’ will be known from here on in as ‘Broderick’s’.
Yes, Manchester Vending is no more. You sense that the family was reluctant to ditch its connection with ‘Manchester’ in the company name, after all Peter, Johnny and Beverley grew up with Manchester Vending: however, proud as they are of their Manc heritage, the new ‘Broderick’s’ branding surely has a wider-ranging appeal and introduces a ‘blue-chip’ feel that speaks of expansion to come.
But what of ‘the do’?
Reputedly, nobody throws a party quite like the Broderick’s. Previous bashes have featured stars like Frank Carson, Jason Manford, Paul Pashley, Signature and Night Games, so in the days before the event, the buzz around the industry was ‘how on earth will they trump the last one?’
The Broderick brothers, Peter and Johnny, put their heads together.
‘We took a few risks’, Johnny Broderick told PV. ‘We changed a winning format but I think it paid off…’
Whatever the risks were, we punters were never aware of them. From the moment we drove through Mere Resort’s impressive entrance until the moment we left, who could fail to have been impressed by the attention to detail that had been lavished on the occasion?
The golfing element of the day began with a shotgun start in warm sunshine. The event was superbly marshalled by Mere’s golf course pros and the four ball team concept had clearly been well thought out. The players were treated to a hog roast as they progressed around the immaculate course and when the last stragglers arrived back at the 19th at tea-time, they joined an impromptu garden party that boasted many of vending’s most prominent individuals; all of them dressed in branded Broderick’s shirts. Quite a sight… And the winners? Congratulations go to Chris Collins who captained the winning team.
A female duo provided a sophisticated sound track until the next event: a demonstration of trick golf shots given by the supremely gifted Jeremy Dale, which ended in an impromptu swing-clinic for the hard core golfers as their ‘social player’ colleagues retired early to prepare for the evening ahead. You don’t need me to tell you that the ladies and gentlemen of vending are, en-masse at least, a hard-to-impress constituency, so the genuine ‘oohs’ and ‘aah’s’ and the spontaneous rounds of applause that accompanied Jeremy’s ‘set’ must have been music to the Broderick brothers’ ears…
Thanks to an unexpected, deliciously warm evening, the main event began outside. Numerous waiting staff circulated amongst the black-tied, cocktail-dressed throng with champagne and canapés, while live music played discretely and a team of female magicians, imported from London for the day, succeeding in dazzling and delighting – even before they started their card tricks. ‘The magicians really were magic’, Johnny Broderick laughed. ‘I paid for three and one of them disappeared!’
‘The magicians really were magic. I paid for three and one of them disappeared!’ Johnny Broderick
And so to dinner… The dining room was cloaked in wall-to-wall star cloth and centre pieces on each of the thirty-odd tables flickered candlelight though baubled festoons, creating a ‘wonderland’ atmosphere that might have been imagined by Lewis Carroll.
Then, Max Beesley brought his deft, experienced touch to the compere’s reins and introduced a video in which Manchester Vending morphed seamlessly into Broderick’s. So good was the film that it drew an impromptu ovation; (much to the delight of producer/director Barry George, who happened to be seated amongst us).
Dinner was excellent. Indeed, considering the number of diners – 200 plus – it was astonishing.
Throughout the meal, and afterwards, a dazzling all-female string trio – comprised of two violins and a cello – played an assured selection of pop, rock and classics, all delivered with an engaging mixture of virtuosity and smouldering energy. Watch out for Silken Strings, I don’t think we’ve heard the last of them.
After dinner, Max Beesley took control again before handing over to Johnny Broderick, who proceeded to give us his own brand of stand-up, recalling his childhood and growing up with Peter (and, of course, Manchester Vending) as he presented the day’s golfers with their prizes.
Finally, from Liverpool, came the pièce de resistance. ‘The Ultimate Party Band’, a stunning, 13 piece outfit complete with front-line brass, three backing singers and an impressive back line of drums, percussion; guitar, bass and keyboards. From their first count-in to their ‘thank-you and good night’, the dance floor was rammed with revelers and the party rocked.
It wasn’t just a good night, it was a great night. It’ll be fondly remembered by everybody who was there: it was a cross between a society wedding, a product launch; The Ryder Cup and The Royal Variety Show.
Next day as the dust settle, Peter and Johnny were quick to acknowledge their appreciation in respect of the contributions suppliers had made to ensure everybody enjoyed a dazzling event. Johnny closed saying, ‘between us, we absolutely nailed it’.
And that, folks, was just about the size of it.
•More pictures and details to come in PV regarding the golf day.
