Why chef Jon went from Michelin Star restaurants to a Chinese takeaway
ACHEF helped establish a popular new takeaway despite a ‘nightmare’ job interview and scepticism from his family.
Jon Foster-Green, 34, has worked in Michelin Star restaurants and even appeared on Masterchef: The Professionals.
But when he heard from a fellow Merseyside chef Paul about a new type of Chinese takeaway in Formby, he had to find out more.
Jon said: “When I got the first phone call, I went into the interview just wanting to hear what it was. The idea was created by Paul. They had the bones of the idea. They were advertising for a chef to come in and work with them to finalise it.”
Paul’s concept was a place that would bridge the gap between a classic Chinese chippy and a high-end Chinese restaurant. It would take orders from its own app, make a limited number of food boxes per day to ensure high standards and then deliver the meals locally.
However, Jon’s interview for the role did not go entirely to plan. He said: “I had a Zoom interview with the team – it was a nightmare. I was down south with my in-laws. The laptop wasn’t mine and I had to put it on its side to work.
“It probably wasn’t the best first impression. But it went well in the end.”
Sixty Kitchen has a set menu which changes every month. The process to getting a Chinese to a customer’s doors is entirely inhouse, rather than utilising thirdparty services, with its own app and delivery drivers. You can only get the food delivered if you live in or close to Formby – otherwise you have to collect it in store.
According to Jon, these decisions were made to put as much investment and returns as possible into Sixty Kitchen, rather than other takeaway apps taking a cut.
Building a successful fastpaced takeaway while maintaining the standards of prestigious restaurants hasn’t been straightforward.
He said: “You think you’ve thought of every possible outcome and another one hits you. We do a plant-based offering which I pushed hard for. We made our own custom stamps and sent the boxes out.
“Then we had a customer contact us who said, we’ve opened all our food out and we can’t tell which is which.”
Some green stamps were made soon after to differentiate them from meat dishes.
Jon added: “When we opened, we thought we could just do boxes for four – family sized. We realised pretty quickly that wasn’t what everyone wanted, so we’ve introduced the boxes for two and they have flown.
“It’s something that’s constantly evolving. You learn a lot of lessons.
“In the last month or two, we’ve really hit our stride. Our customers have been great about providing feedback.”
Sixty Kitchen’s location in Formby has meant it has become popular among local celebrities, with Jamie Carragher sharing his order on his Instagram story last week with the caption “Much needed!”
Jon said: “It’s nice for the team – they really enjoy it. They love cooking for the celebrities, especially the footballers. Every young lad loves cooking for them.
“Them sharing it on socials is great for us and great for a young business. We’ve got some customers as well who are loyal.”
Staff at Sixty Kitchen are in a scheme where they will receive a share of the profits made.
After five months of success, Jon has shared his plans for the expansion of the takeaway.
He said: “We’ve secured investment to open four more of these in Merseyside over the next 18 months – that’s based on how well it’s been received. On our app, there is the ability to nominate an area you want us to set up in. We’re looking to go where people want us.
“Hopefully there will be a second location opening in April/ May time. That’s super exciting for us.
“We’re a Merseyside business. We want to open more in the area but it’s our dream to open it in other cities too. We think it’s something that’s replicable.”
It was a risk for Jon to leave the world of Michelin Star venues to a unique start-up takeaway, but he is delighted at how things have turned out.
He said: “My dad thought it was a brave decision, let’s say. I’ve worked really hard and am really proud of my CV.
“I didn’t think it would be for me. But the more I thought about it and the more Paul explained – it’s about staying in but getting something good, get something that’s as good as going out to a restaurant.
“You can do all the fancy food in the world but what’s more comforting than a proper Chinese meal with your family? That’s the perfect food for me.”
Sixty Kitchen is located at 23 Chapel Lane in Formby. really