5 Questions with.......Nick Angelucci

How long have you been at Orange Grove Markets?

Back in 2007 originally next to the Mick the Fishman (R.I.P.)

We know that you have your everfaithful weeklies, but what is the record number of arrosticinni sales to one person?

We had a regular who one day turned up with a slab (if you're unfamiliar with Aussie lingo, best find a true-blue and discover exactly what a "slab" is) and ordered 50 skewers!  It took a good steady hour, as I cook 10 at a time so they were nice and hot when I gave them to him.  Luckily he gave me a can for the good service and I gave him the cooking skewers as he wanted them!

Where do you source your charcoal & is it done by eco-friendly methods?

We really push our suppliers to give us local:  Gidgee (South West Queensland), Mallee (Victoria) and Redgum (NSW).  All are fallen dead trees and there are no additives so it is completely natural and when done (bbq'ing) it makes for great soil conditioner!

What was your life before the world of BBQ and Orange Grove Markets and why the switch?

I was a marketing dude for a multi-national corporate company. I saw years ago that nobody was doing grilled Italian skewers, which is part of my ethnic origin and decided to become Australia's first Arrosticinni street-vendor!

One thing led to another and I gave up my full-time job 3 years ago to focus on building my idea for what BBQ cuisine should be for Aussies - viva la rivoluzione!  

What is the singularly most bizarre query or order you have had?

We get angry children coming back for more! 

What happened is this: parent buys a single skewer for their child and off they go with skewer in hand.  Minutes later, this child started demanding another, as they were literally about to leave the market.

Parent returns, buys one more and then off they go only to return (with angry child in tow) to buy another.  

For this particular parent it was a 6 time return.  He simply didn't think his child could eat so much bbq'd meat!  Unfortunately, the dad didn't try one of the skewer's which explains why he simply didn't understand why his kid was so "hungry" (or angry!).

(nb: this isn't the angry parent!  this is a Saturday regular!)

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Lesson learned would be that in order to avoid the angry child syndrome, try one of Nick's skewers and trust us....they are seriously seriously SERIOUSLY scrummy!