The Chuck Wagon - Cookstown

03/06/2026

Support your local businesses!

Sign this petition to reduce the VAT rate for hospitality to 10%.

Our coffee shops, takeaways, cafes, local producers, food vendors, bakeries, and many others form the heart of our communities, but they are currently facing challenges.

Our local food businesses are about more than just serving food. They generate local jobs, support local communities & suppliers, drive tourism, and keep our high streets alive, yet we are under considerable pressure from rising costs.

Many small businesses are on the brink of collapse due to these high expenses, and we urgently need your support.

Our message to the Government is clear. Let's come together to express that a 10% VAT rate on hospitality is fair and justified.

The Northern Ireland Food-To-Go Association are backing and urge all Food-To-Go businesses to do the same.

Please sign the petition at: www.vatstheproblem.co.uk

Please also share, thank you 🙏



https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1VRquDgSQe/?mibextid=wwXIfr

21/05/2026

Phone working again.

02/05/2026

20/04/2026

Just a reminder that we will be closed today

19/04/2026

We are all just heartbroken to have to put this post up . Barbara was part of The Chuck Wagon for almost 40 years. We all grew up with her advice and knowledge, she was always there just for a chat and maybe tell us off a little. We loved her like family she felt like family. Thinking of all her own family such a loss for them.

We will be closing on Tuesday for the funeral as all the girls will want to attend.

Barbara Patterson 18 April 2026

Patterson (née McKinney) April 18, 2026 (peacefully) at the Causeway
Hospital, after a short illness, Barbara, 20 Edinburgh Drive, Cookstown,
beloved wife of the late Robert (Bobbie), dearly loved mum of Rhonda
(Colin), Andrew (Donna), Richard (Kathryn) and Mary (Gareth), devoted nanny of Zoe (Gareth), Mia (Ethan), Bobbie (Shannon), Jack, Maisie, Austen, Maddie, Harry and Noah, special great-granny of Tommy, dearest sister of Betty, Tom, Billy, Jean, Sadie and the late Jim, Harry, Jack, Bertie and Dorothy and a much loved sister-in-law, aunt and great-aunt. Everyone welcome at the family home on Sunday and Monday 12.00noon – 8.00pm. Funeral leaving her late home on Tuesday, 21 April at 12.30pm, for service in First Presbyterian Church Cookstown at 1.00pm (approx.), followed by burial in Cookstown Cemetery. Family flowers only please. Donations in lieu, if desired, payable to Steenson Funeral Services (Charities a/c), 11 Loy Street, Cookstown, BT80 8PZ for The Lord Enniskillen Memorial Orange Society and Air Ambulance N.I. Always in our thoughts, forever in our hearts.

14/03/2026

❤The unfortunate truth of owning and running a business.
Running a business is really hard.
✔️What they don’t tell you is that it can cause severe stress and anxiety, and drains you mentally to the point of depression in even the most laid back people.
✔️People will talk about you, compare you to others, use you, they will view you as a service and not a person anymore.
✔️Friends and family will expect discounts and people will value you and your hard work less than a big chain store.
✔️You have to worry about if you forget to email/message someone back, are they going to think it was on purpose? Did you disappoint them? Will they hold that against you? When in reality you just can’t get to everyone’s messages and emails.
✔️Starting up and running a successful business puts incredible strain on personal lives and relationships, many of which fail because there is just often no work life balance.
✔️You need to be the director, the worker, the admin, the marketing team, the accountant, the cleaner..... All whilst being a parent, a husband or a wife, family support, friend... it’s one of the hardest things you will try and balance

✔️There’s a reason you don’t see many people succeed in businesses after 5 years. If they are successful they are overwhelmed. It takes a toll. It’s freaking exhausting. Especially the past couple of years when so much has been out of our control.

❤Here’s a small reminder that we are just normal people trying to earn a living with hectic lives. Be kind, be patient, support businesses…….and hopefully more of us will stick around!
I copied this from another business owner that I support and they support us. ❤

14/02/2026

No matter how famous you are it’s hard to beat a Chuck Wagon 🤩