FOODIE NEwS

Feeling chipper

Jojo’s Fish & Chips shop in Stafford has been making people happy since May 1999 when it opened its doors. Business owner John Evans and his amazing team have an army of regular customers. Having the freshest, tastiest produce together with friendly and efficient staff is what attracts fans from all over Staffordshire and beyond. The team is passionate about great fish and chips, that’s why they only use suppliers as obsessed with quality produce as they are. They buy only top-grade cod and haddock, delivered every day from Grimsby, Fleetwood and Peterhead docks. The team works closely with Responsible Fisheries and Marine Stewardship to ensure their fish is sourced from sustainable stocks.

People often ask where the name Jojo’s comes from. It’s a tribute to John Charalambous, who founded the wonderful shop, and Joseph Evans, the youngest member of the family.

In 2021 the business expanded with the purchase of Jojo’s van, which travels all over the UK bringing award-winning fish and chips to all kinds of events, from weddings and festivals to corporate days. Within 12 months, it was successfully judged among the UK’s top three in the Fish & Chip Awards, the most prestigious awards in the industry. It was no surprise, as every dish is freshly prepared every single day from a menu that’s bursting with flavour.

www.jojosfishandchips.co.uk

Business birthday

Ben and Emma from Porter’s Delicatessen in Llangollen are celebrating their first year since taking over the business in July 2022. Porter’s has been established for 15 years and they were regular customers of the deli.

When the opportunity arose to acquire the business, they jumped at the chance to step into the world of retail and fine foods from their previous careers in logistics and education. Both are enthusiastic foodies and are committed to providing high quality, responsibly sourced produce from artisan producers from the local area, Wales and the rest of the UK, and across the world. www.portersdeli.co.uk

In their first year they have continued the same great product range that regular customers have always enjoyed from Porter’s, as well as introducing many local producers. These include three local honeys from beekeepers Gaele, Kirsty and Carol, whose hives are all located in the Dee Valley, and local cured salami from Will at Shropshire Salumi, made the traditional way using outdoor reared Gloucester Old Spot pigs. They also support Casha and her team at Babbinswood Farm in Whittington and operate a deposit and return service for their fabulous organic dairy products.

You’ll also find the full range of spirits from Henstone Distillery, locally produced rapeseed and sunflower oils from Chris at Mountain Produce in Minera, handmade pates made in the heart of Llangollen by Michelle and Mark at Llangollen Handmade Pâté. With eight delicious flavours to try, there is plenty to keep those tastebuds tingling. And if you fancy a touch of Malaysian food there is Sakinah’s range of curry pastes, handmade at her home in Chester. With over 1,200 different lines packed into a relatively small space it’s worth taking time to browse and be inspired to try something new.

Winning gins

Shropshire’s own distillers at Henstone Distillery are celebrating after their lightly oak aged Rosé Gin won Best in Britain 2023 in the prestigious Gin Guide Awards 2023. Henstone London Dry and Navy Gins were also winners, and Henstone took home the Distillery of the Year award too!

Hundreds of gins from over 35 countries around the world took part, in categories based on the most popular styles of gin and their countries of production, as well as design and branding, and environmental sustainability. The winners are selected through a rigorous blind-tasting process conducted by a panel of distinguished gin experts, including distillers, retail spirits buyers, authors and mixologists. Appearance, aroma, flavour, mouth feel, finish and overall quality are assessed to determine the highest scoring gins, based purely on the spirit itself, with no influence from branding, marketing or country of origin.

Chris Toller, co-founder and director of Henstone Distillery said: “Our Rosé Gin has been in production for nearly five years and for it now to win Best in Britain is amazing! We are all so proud that we have achieved this in such a crowded category. Also, for our distillery, based in rural Shropshire, to win Distillery of the Year 2023 against stiff international competition is the icing on the cake.” www.henstonedistillery.com