JCB staging ‘street parties’ to mark coronation

JCB is treating more than 5,500 employees at all its UK factories to a two-course celebration lunch next week.

The Big Coronation Lunch is being staged at the company’s plants in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham, where breaks are being extended to allow the historic occasion to be marked in style.

JCB chairman Lord Bamford said: “The coronation really is a momentous event in our country’s history and an opportunity for all of us to come together and mark it as a team in traditional street party style.”

Factory restaurants are being decked out with red, white and blue bunting and balloons ready for classic British cuisine to be served on traditional street party trestle tables. Employees will tuck into fish and chips, sausage and mash, a special coronation chicken pie or enjoy a special afternoon tea. A regal fruit crumble and trifle will be offered as dessert.

Ella Taylor, aged 19, from Stafford, a material planner at JCB Power Products, in Hixon, near Stafford, said: “It is good of JCB to show its support for the coronation and dedicate time for the employees celebrate.”

Sean Tucker, 20, from Rocester, is a welder at JCB Cab Systems in Uttoxeter. He said: “The Big Coronation Lunches are a fantastic idea – it will be great to get together with my colleagues to celebrate the memorable occasion. It’s brilliant that the food on offer will be traditionally British – I’m going to go for the fish and chips!”

Carol Williams, general manager for JCB’s catering contractor Elior, said: “This really will be a royal celebration to remember. Not surprisingly, given it’s a very British occasion, more than half of those attending have selected fish and chips for their main course.”

Over the course of the four-day street party, the team will prepare and serve almost one tonne of potatoes, 172 kilogrammes of chicken, 293kgs of fish, and 125kgs of sausage.