Top award for Connah’s Quay takeaway

A Connah’s Quay Take Away is celebrating after being crowned Food Awards Wales – North Wales Takeaway of the Year.

‘What’s Cooking’  the popular Chinese takeaway and Restaurant on High Street, Connah’s Quay – scooped the prize at a black tie bash held in Cardiff.

The inaugural Food Awards Wales are voted for by the public and aim is to recognise the hard work and efforts of the Welsh food industry.

Owners husband and wife Yan Chan and Ali Huang and business partner Samantha Hudson are delighted, especially as they only recently found out that they had been nominated for the award by their satisfied customers.

“We only found out about two weeks ago when the organisers phoned up out of the blue,” said Yan.

“We hadn’t entered but our customers had nominated and voted for us. The organisers received thousands of applications and they announced us as the North Wales winner, and we were also second of the four Welsh regions.

“From our perspective it’s fantastic, we’re very proud of what our team has accomplished, and it’s great for the area too as it will gain some recognition.”

Samantha and Ali, who is from China, opened the restaurant in 2012. Yan, a Welsh-speaker from Bangor who has been in the catering industry since he was just nine years old, joined the team six months later.

Together they have developed the restaurant and takeaway sides of the business and enjoyed a recent rapid growth in customers.

Within the next few months they hope to take on more staff on top of their two current part-time employees.

Alyn and Deeside AM Carl Sargeant, whose constituency office is only a few doors away from the restaurant, is one of the restaurant’s happy customers.

“I’m delighted for the team at What’s Cooking who have done Connah’s Quay and North Wales proud with this well-deserved win,” he said.

Ranked second in Connah’s Quay on influential customer review website TripAdvisor, the Deeside takeaway faced tough competition for the award from six of North Wales finest takeaways all vying for the top award, they were:

• Jaaps Catch (Colwyn Bay)
• Ty Asha Balti House (Llanrwst)
• Fisherman Fish Shop (Conwy)
• Enochs Fish & Chips (Llandudno)
• Fish Tram Chips (Llandudno)
• Les & Ritas Fish Bar (Rhyl)

The awards ceremony also helped raise funds for the official charity partner, Make A Wish Foundation UK granting magical wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening conditions.

Yasmin Mahmood of event organisers Creative Oceanic commented

“After the great success of the Food Awards England and Wales which were held in Manchester last year, it was apparent the Welsh food industry deserved a greater platform for recognition.

We have had a fantastic response in nominations, for the inaugural Food Awards Wales”

The #winner of the Takeaway of the Year North Wales is What’s Cooking (Connah’s Quay) #FoodAwardsWales

— Creative Oceanic (@CreativeOceanic) May 11, 2015