10 January 2009

Joe's Thai curries are hot stuff

Source: Sheffield Star, 8 January 2009

Former Sheffield student Joe White has a hot new business idea – importing the fieriest curries ever tasted in the UK.

Joe, who trained to be a teacher at The University of Sheffield, saw his career plans turned upside down when he met and fell in love with a Thai medical student called Cherry Kongma.

Joe and Cherry moved back to Thailand where they were engaged last summer – and where Joe hit on a new business plan.

"I met Cherry in Japan and it came about through my love of rock climbing," said the former 26-year-old resident of Crookes.

"I've fallen in love with Thailand in a big way since, and with the food.

"But Brits who came here said they could never get authentic Thai curries back home – they could never get the taste right and the pastes you get in supermarkets just don't cut it."

Joe, with partner Frank Flegg, have set up the Thai Curry Company which imports the ingredients in kit form.

He said: "We launched the kits at the BBC Good Food Show and they went down really well – the curries are as authentic as they can possibly be and we think there's a real gap in the market.

"We haven't toned anything down – they are as 100 per cent spicy as they can get. Eat one and you'll be covered in beads of sweat, it's a proper Thai curry with a real kick!"

Joe now hopes he can get his curries on sale in many of the major British supermarkets.