Jeff Cooks Up Regional Treat for ASDA Shoppers

23 Apr 2008

Tees Valley’s most famous delicacy - the one and only Parmo - is set to tickle the taste buds of ASDA shoppers in the region thanks to an Eston entrepreneur and his latest product innovation.

Geoff Johns, proprietor of Jeff the Chef Foods, saw a gap in the market to manufacture the popular local delicacy as a pre-prepared cook-chill product and, with a little help from Redcar & Cleveland’s LEGI (Local Enterprise Growth Initiative) team, his creation is about to appear on the shelves of ASDA supermarkets in the Tees Valley area.

With invaluable advice, mentoring and funding from the LEGI team, Geoff has been able to expand his business and move into new premises at Skipper’s Lane Industrial Estate in South Bank. Geoff’s existing catering business is well known locally for its quality and service, values that will be carried over to the exciting new manufacturing venture.

“We currently run a small café, as well as outside catering services and the business has gone from strength to strength over the past few years,” says Geoff. “This provides a strong base for the new venture, which also fulfils a long-held dream of taking the Parmo to a wider audience. Eventually I would like to take the product abroad.

“It’s a really exciting time for us and we are already selling the product in two local convenience stores and a restaurant. What we need now is to establish ourselves in the market to fully utilise our new factory and expand the workforce, so I’m delighted to have made it into ASDA.

The Parmo is sure to prove a hit thanks to Geoff’s enthusiasm and ambition for his freshly prepared product, which contains no preservatives.

“One of the key aims of the LEGI programme is the development and expansion of existing small and medium businesses in Redcar & Cleveland,” says Cllr Mark Hannon, Cabinet Member for Economic Development on Redcar & Cleveland Council. “The passion and innovative thinking demonstrated by Geoff is a shining example of what is needed if we are to develop a culture of enterprise and entrepreneurship in the borough.”