Over the last ten years I’ve often wondered when and how ParmaDaze would actually end.
Surely this couldn't go on forever, at some point we’ve got to close the book on this little quest... right?
ParmaDaze started as a way to keep in touch with a group of mates after a fire took away Ascot Vale’s Prince of Wales Hotel - our Wednesday parma night home for many years previous.
But as much as we all hate to admit it times change, 10 years is a hell of a long time, and for the last 12 months or so weekly attendance at parma night has been dwindling, to the point where only four of all of the parmas we reviewed in 2019 had more than 3 attendees, considering that when we started we would easily crack 15 reviewers every week that is quite a drop in numbers.
Now I want to be clear that I hold no ill will to any and all of the review team who have dropped off of late. This isn’t a guilt trip. Free time, commitments and all round life changes for everyone and expecting weekly attendance to my mad little scheme for ten goddamn years was a ridiculous ask, and a massive thank you for coming even once to give your opinions on some parmas.
So when I saw that Parma 400 and our 10 year anniversary amazingly coincided on the same week I took it as a sign from the universe that it was time to wrap things up, Which is why this week’s review #400 finished where we began 10 years prior. Starting and ending at Mrs. Parmas seemed like an amazingly fitting end to this journey.
Reviewing these parmas every week for ParmaDaze has been a major part of my life, and even now part of me is crying out to keep it going forever. Flicking through Instagram this last couple of weeks it has been triggering a weird tinge of sadness every time I get tagged in a decent looking parma and think to myself “Oh I’ll have to add that to the list” before reminding myself that “the list” is no more.
Man this got depressing quick.
So what’s next?
Well first up I’m not disappearing, and definitely not stopping both eating parmas and giving my opinions on them. All of the social media sites will remain and I’ll no doubt chuck the occasional review up on Instagram, share interesting parma news on Facebook and share my thoughts on Video Games or assault companies for tech support on Twitter (hell with all this extra free time I might even be able to get the occasional video review out on the dusty old YouTube channel).
Really the only thing that is gonna stop is the weekly long form blog update, and I’ll be sure to keep the archive of existing blog posts live for as long as humanly possible. I worked for 10 frickin' years on those posts, I’m not gonna let them disappear!
On top of that we have something new in the works. I’m not ready to release all of the details just yet - But know the term “PD 2.0” is getting thrown around a lot. I don’t want to put a specific date on it, but I should have something concrete to share some time in the coming months. I’m pretty excited about it and I think it’s going to be something really cool.
Now it's time for some thankyous. As I touched upon earlier a massive thanks to everyone who pitched in a score to ParmaDaze over the years - I couldn’t have done it without the contributors so big thanks to you all. Thanks to my wife, Reviewer Nikki, for putting up with me for all this time and being the best partner and/or designated driver a guy could ask for. Oh and a special mention to Reviewer “Savage" Stefo as well - The bloke who, behind Nikki and Myself, came to more reviews than anyone else. A true champion for the cause.
Thanks to the pubs for putting up with us. I’ve said some relatively nasty stuff about some of you over the years, I hope none of it was taken too seriously, it was all a bit of fun - Except that one pub that tried to sue us, but they are under new management now so I’m not gonna name them.
Specifically thanks to the Birmingham Hotel, the Imperial Hotel and all of the other golden chook winners for humouring us any time we rolled in to present the poor unsuspecting staff with chicken trophies. You guys were always good sports.
Oh and thanks to the Prince of Wales hotel in Ascot Vale. To Parma Pete, Tony and Chris for putting together the greatest pub meal that has ever graced this earth. Still missed to this day, we looked for a parma to replace yours for ten goddamn years and, although we had some damn good feeds in that time, still came up short. In my mind you still remain the best we’ve ever had.
And finally, thanks to you! ParmaDaze could not of existed without the support of the readers coming back every week to read my chicken scratch. Being “The ParmaDaze Guy” has afforded some amazing opportunities (I’m gonna be bragging that I was interviewed for the Wall Street Journal for decades to come), and most importantly has been an absolute blast. So. much. fun.
And so - After 10 years, four hundred reviews, thousands of pints and a countless chickens its finally time to say...