Aldo’s in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, is Keejay’s second competition winner, with owner Jim Doran scooping a luxury weekend for two in London and a meal at renowned seafood restaurant Smith’s of Wapping.
Jim, who took over the shop three years ago, won the prize after buying Keejay’s Chinese Curry Sauce through Henry Colbeck.
Selected at random from all the operators that bought Goldfish Brand Professional sauce concentrates from the wholesaler between March and April, Jim comments: “It was great to receive the call from Colbecks to say I had won the trip to London. I run the shop with my partner, but she is a mum more than anything, so she is really going to enjoy it.”
Although Jim has been using Keejay’s Chinese Curry Sauce at Aldo’s since the day he opened the takeaway, he has been familiar with it for much longer. “I discovered it through a family I worked with for many years. They taught me to use the best ingredients, and Keejay’s sauce was one of their staples. When I opened my shop, I continued with that same philosophy.”
As well as a popular side with fish and chips, Aldo’s sells a large proportion of its curry sauce at lunchtime over chips or fritter rolls – known in other parts of the UK as potato scallops. Jim comments: “Our curry sauce is really popular, especially with the school kids at lunchtime. Almost every single one of them will have curry sauce over something. Whether it’s a fritter roll, chips, chips and cheese, curry is on most orders. We make it a little bit cheaper for them because they are kids so whereas normally we are £4 for chips, curry sauce and cheese, at lunchtime they can get it for £3 and we do a slightly smaller portion.”
With the shop going through two to three bain-maries per shift, Keejays Chinese Curry Sauce is also a hit with staff thanks to its quick and easy preparation. Jim adds: “The curry sauce works well with the way the shop runs. I’ve got morning and evening staff and I do all the prep in the morning, but with Keejay’s Chinese Curry Sauce I can show the staff once and they can do it anytime, they know exactly what it’s meant to look like.”
In addition to in-store sales, Aldo’s sells a significant amount of curry sauce online, thanks to a partnership with Just Eat established when Jim first took over. Jim explains: “When customers come into the shop, they don’t look at the menu, they know what they are having before coming in, whereas online people don’t really pay attention to what they are spending. They just tap away, so we sell a lot of curry sauce that way.”
Jim has turned the business around since taking it over, saying, “It’s taken a lot of work to build the shop up, but I’ve stuck to my belief in using the best products and ingredients. I’ve also got a great team of hardworking staff here. We are now where I want us to be.”
