“It goes with everything,” says Sonny Lee, manager of J-Henry’s in Hedge End, Southampton, after trying Keejays’ new Goldfish Brand Curry Dip
Sonny Lee believes chip shops need to keep evolving, and his latest find is helping them do just that. After spotting Keejays’ new Goldfish Brand Curry Dip on Fry Magazine’s social media, he knew he had to try it.
“We saw it online asking shops to comment if they wanted to trial it. So we did,” Sonny comments. “I gave it to all six of our shops, and we loved it. We let customers try it and it didn’t get one bad word from anyone.”
What stood out most was the flavour profile, how easy it was to use – no prep, no warming up, straight out the bottle – and how versatile it turned out to be.
“It goes with everything,” says Sonny. “We tried it on chips, sausage, fish, it just works. That’s really important because, at the moment, the profits are not really there in fish and chips. So, if you can push someone to a sausage, chips and curry sauce for £6-£7, you’re going to be making more out of that than charging £12 for fish and chips.”
Sonny describes Goldfish Brand Curry Dip as smooth, sweet and aromatic, and is quick to reassure customers it’s not spicy. “I think the word ‘curry’ makes people expect heat, but it’s not like that. It’s got a great flavour, it’s not like anything I’ve tried before, and it coats the chips really well. One dip and they’re evenly covered.”
J-Henry’s is well-known for having fun with its customers on social media and has just passed 12,000 followers on Facebook. They’re already thinking about how to build excitement around the new launch.
“We’re thinking of doing free samples in little pots on a Friday night, and doing a video for socials with staff trying it and maybe a couple of customers too. Because we’re so new to the market with this dip, we could say, it’s a brand new sauce to try, it’s an exclusive. People become intrigued when they know there’s something new to try.”
Sonny is also planning to use the dip on loaded chips, one of the shop’s best sellers. “Right now we do a New Yorker with cheese and BBQ sauce,” he explains. “But I think sweet curry and cheese could work really well.”
Goldfish Brand Curry Dip may even replace some sauces on the counter, with Sonny explaining: “One of our spicy mayos got discontinued and making it ourselves has been a bit of a chore. This curry dip will probably replace that, relieving us of that job.”
Keejays 01473 827304 www.keejays.com
Dinner Dance revival
J-Henry’s is hosting a Christmas black-tie dinner dance for South Coast shop owners, reviving a tradition from 20 years ago. It will take place at the Botleigh Grange Hotel on Sunday 14th December with tickets costing £75pp or £700 for a table of 10. Contact leefamilygroup@yahoo.com to book your place.
