The Curry Boat

I'm surprised and impressed by the growing number of small businesses using narrowboats as mobile retail premises. And not in just numbers, but sheer variety too.

By its very nature it's hard for this sort of thing to be more than a boutique business.  All these boats, as far as I can tell, are 'Number Ones' - that is, owner-operated.

The latest business to join the fleet (if that's not a contradiction in terms for a Number One) is Boodee's Curry Boat (www.curryboat.co.uk).   On their narrowboat Cilantro they sell a wide variety of Indian, Malay, Thai and other dishes, on a regular weekly run between Skipton and Barnoldswick.

Here's the route on Canalplan.

Here's the area on Google Maps, centered on East Marton.

It's an interesting business model, a 'stop-me-and-buy-one Ruby Murray'.  But the Curry Boat differs from standard takeaway shops in that all their dishes come cold, vacuum-packed in single-portions,  and you reheat them as boil-in-the-bag. 

This makes them not only easy to sell retail, but easy to take back to your own boat and store in the fridge for a day or two before reheating.

'Boodee's' is Boo (an English lady) and her husband Dee (a Malaysian), and they set it up a couple of months ago, upon returning earlier this year after several years together in the Far East.

Boo said that when they bought the boat Cilantro, it was sheer chance that it was named after a herb popular in chilli dishes.

She did think of renaming it 'Ruby Murray', the popular rhyming slang for curry, but - being young herself - she was surprised that for so many older boaters, the name instead still evokes the Irish songstress Ruby Murray

(Ruby Murray still holds a record for the largest number of hit records in a single week - 5 - in what used to be called the 'Hit Parade'.)

The Curry Boat's menu is 'eclectically curry', from Indian to Thai, but I asked Boo for a house speciality and she recommended the Chicken Lemak Chili Api, a southern Malay dish which includes coconut, lemongrass, turmeric and chilis.  They also offer a wide range of Indian, Thai, Malay and Chinese rices and accompaniments.  

They cook freshly every day, and Boo reeled off a complete list of ingredients when I asked her.  I quickly lost count - but no, 'curry powder' is not one of them!  

The meat is all halal and there is no pork on the menu.  They are the first practising Muslims I've seen on the waterways, which surprises me considering how many live alongside the Leeds & Liverpool Canal - particularly between Nelson and Blackburn, on the other side of the canal's summit.    

I guess one of the advantages of cooking everything from scratch is that they can recount all the ingredients to you in person, which will help if you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions.

Call or text them on 07540 053763 or email curryboat@yahoo.co.uk for a schedule.  The current 'holding' website will be replaced by a more sophisticated one shortly, and they've promised to keep their schedule updated via Twitter, so you'll know when they are due. 

I learned about the Curry Boat from Peter of NB Gecko.  He did an excellent blog post about it on Monday.  He's actually been there, tasted that, and got the T-shirt - in the form of a charming picture of Dee and Boo at the hatch.  In his picture, note the cute little 'canal-craft roses' bell they provide to summon them if they aren't already at the hatch!

The forums have also been buzzing about  the Curry Boat - see the threads on Canal World and JustCanals.

Comments

[Mike]

Halfie said You could have a pair where the motor is called "Chip"

Brill!

[Halfie]

You could have a pair where the motor is called "Chip".

[Mike]

Andrew, I hope this is just a taster for a whole fleet of culinary narrow-boats. How long before the traditional British roast beef is served up from a narrow-boat called the "Gravy Boat". With a follow on course of Baklava from a boat called "Turkish Delight"... mmmmm

Mick

[Fiona]

Sounds great. Your most tasty blog post in ages Andrew!