Knödels

Busy old day today with loads of stuff done. I'm also preparing a meal and it will include dumplings because it’s a lamb casserole and because it is winter and because, as Samuel Johnson said, “When a man is tired of dumplings he is tired of life”.

And this got me to thinking. Across the globe there are all sorts of chain eateries selling particular delicacies. The global burger brands are the most obvious, doughnuts are misspelled as donuts and hawked by Krispy Kreme and the Colonel flogs his southern fried chicken. The Italians have exported pizza around the world and on a more local level we have Greggs for all things pastry-based. I'm sure that there are crêperies across France but I'm struggling to think of a dumping chain. I know from my time in Bavaria that a well formed dumpling is a thing of beauty and that they come in all shapes and sizes; Kartoffelknödel, Semmelknödel, Kartoffelkloesse from Bavaria and our own wonderful suet dumplings. So, I wonder, why hasn't anyone set up a chain of dumpling shops? Cheap and easy to make, tasty and with opportunities for side orders of gravy, peas or beans. We could offer vegetarian gravy as well as a nice meaty gloop and there would be vegan options – it looks to me like a red-hot runner! In terms of equipment the entry level is low, usual kitchen clothing and no need for protective gauntlets or glasses. A stove and oven and a counter and the biggest cash-drawer available because this stuff will fly out!

The marketing writes itself; “Get your hands on our dumplings” or similar and we’d have jugglers outside shops to attract customers – for some reason jugglers and dumplings seem to work together in my head. Once we've got the shops started I see there being contracts to deliver to local offices at lunchtimes and we’d replace the chippie as the place for a Friday evening takeaway. Does this sound like a plan? Who's with me?