Tucked away on separate trading estates, two international supermarkets are bringing tastes of the world to the Wirral.
Depofoods on Sovereign Way in Wallasey specialises in Turkish and international food and RaanThai on the North Cheshire Trading Estate in Prenton offers Thai and other Southeast Asian cuisines to the peninsula and beyond. The ECHO spoke to the people behind the stores who stock a treasure trove of lesser-spotted foods and cuisines from different corners of the world.
Can Kucukugurlu and his business partners own a number of restaurants, including Gustum Bar and Restaurant on Rose Lane in Mossley Hill, Asma Restaurant on Hoylake Road in Moreton, NOYA Mediterranean Restaurant on Ford Road in Upton and La Vita on Derby Road in Huyton.
READ MORE: Award-winning arts group helped support community after Olivia Pratt-Korbel murder
Last year, the 36-year-old and his business partner Kadir Donmez decided to open their own market. Can said they were purchasing "so many products from outside" for their restaurants and wanted to bring something closer to them.
Speaking to the ECHO, Can said: “The idea came that we wanted to supply our own restaurants from our own market and we wanted to bring new things to Wirral people as well and that was something we could make sure of.”
As you walk into Depofoods the level of choice is almost overwhelming. Can, who moved to Liverpool from Turkey in 2011, and his team provide freshly made pide bread - a traditional no knead flatbread - baklavas, cakes, pastries, as well as meat, tea and every Turkish snack imaginable.
Can said: "For the restaurant side, we mostly do all kinds of vegetables and meat. There are pastries and Turkish baklava and Turkish desserts, mostly Turkish.
“In the market we have some Indian, some Polish products, some Albanian, I’d say East European side. Every week and every month I’d say we are increasing our products. So every time people come in they will see new products.”
Can added that people have travelled miles to visit the local supermarket and once they have been, they keep coming back for more.
He added: “Customers are coming from Liverpool, they are coming from Chester, some people even come from Wales. Whoever comes they love the place as well, they want to keep coming back so that is a good sign."
The 36-year-old said he hopes his supermarket brings people together and allows people to try new things. Can said: “I think the store brings people of all different nationalities to one place."
Can added he hopes new regeneration plans in the area will also bring more opportunities for the store and he and his team plan on opening more shops.
He added: “Just opposite the shop there is a regeneration area, where they are doing houses and stuff. So hopefully, by this time next year we will be in the position we want to be in, and if this goes OK and the way we want, we are planning on opening more shops in Liverpool [and other places] as well.”
Just off one of the junctions of the M53 is RaanThai, a supermarket which specialises in Thai and other Southeast Asian foods, as well as East Asian cuisines such as Japanese, Korean and Chinese. In there you can find favourites such as every flavour of Thai cup noodles, tom yum and spring rolls to fresh fruits and vegetables such as sweet and fleshy rambutan to crunchy bean sprouts.
In RaanThai, the vast variety of products will no doubt mean customers will be leaving with full baskets of delicious treats. Husband and wife team Mark and Ajaporn Leach, who is known as Aet, are the force behind the supermarket. Their business started back in 2005 where they held " Tupperware parties but with vegetables".
Speaking to the ECHO, Mark said: “It all began around 2005 and we saw there was a dearth of fresh Thai ingredients for the local Thai population and other Southeast Asian population in this particular area, of which there are quite a few.
“We decided to first start importing fresh vegetables from Thailand and things which are kind of unique to Southeast Asia and were at that time not widely available over here. It took a bit of of setting up with the bureaucracy etc, but we started doing that and it went really well.
“We were refrigerating at home and had the space to keep it at home and conditioned and we basically started doing Tupperware parties but with vegetables. We would go to peoples houses and people would meet up there and purchase from us.
“Then we moved into dry goods and we started taking a few dry goods that people wanted to buy at the same time as the vegetables, we started taking them from wholesalers in the country and it grew from there. We started a little shop in Wallasey.
“We used to go all over, we used to do a lot of van sales as well in the North West. Then around 2008 we got to the stage where what we were doing, we couldn’t go any further unless we acquired bigger premises.”
It was then RaanThai as it is now was born. Mark said he believes the store allows to people to try foods that they may not be able otherwise. He added for people who have moved to the UK from the likes of Thailand it is also a "reminder of home" for them.
He said: “It brings availability of ingredients which are not easy to find. For the expats who live here it is a reminder of home and for the adventurous local people who want to have a go. We cater to all tastes really from spring rolls to sushi.
"So any kind of taste of Asian cuisine we try and cater for.”
Mark and Aet also have an online store, but said people from all over come and visit the supermarket, including the likes of the Isle of Man and Dublin. Mark added they also try and to have brands which are local in peoples own countries rather than made for exports brands.
He said: "Expats who come here like the familiarity of seeing brands that they can find on their shelves." Aet also praised her team who work incredibly hard in the running of RaanThai.
Get the top stories straight to your inbox by signing up to our what's on newsletter
READ NEXT:
Thug stabbed man in front of families after row at pub's beach party
Mysterious building exposed on Liverpool street after years hidden behind hoardings
Paul McCartney's favourite sandwich is very condiment heavy
DWP Universal Credit and PIP claimants to get up to £824 extra cash
Steven Gerrard's two word response as Wayne Rooney wins career award
