'Dream come true' as Colchester takeaway makes finals of Just Eat awards

Website designer Jack Shaw launched the first Burgers, Wings and Ribs (B.W.R) restaurant out of a converted double decker bus in Colchester in May last year, after getting bored in lockdown when work dried up.

Now the B.W.R bus lives in Ipswich outside The Duke of York pub in Woodbridge Road, and operates out of a takeaway unit in Colchester.

The business also serves food at the Bricklayers Arms pub in Bergholt Road, Colchester, and at The Garrison Tavern in Chelmsford high street.

Selling mouth-watering portions of fried meat, drenched in hot sauces and accompanied by fries, the Colchester takeaway has now made it to the finals of the regional awards.

Mr Shaw had no previous experience in the food business a year ago, but now runs the day-to-day operations of three B.W.R locations, with partners Neil Austin and Olympian boxer Josh Kelly.

"The recognition is a dream come true," the 32-year-old said.

"This whole experience has been a real learning curve and 12 months ago B.W.R didn't even exist — now it's growing at a real serious rate of knots.

"We have made a lot of mistakes along the way so to just even get nominated was massive. We're doing our best to learn and I am over the moon with what we have done."

Mr Shaw saw the double decker bus for sale last year and bought it on a whim, never thinking the business would be as successful as it is now, with an average of 1,500 orders every week.

Burgers, Wings & Ribs have three takeaway locations where they serve their signature fast food (Image: Burgers, Wings & Ribs)

The British Takeaway Awards (BTA) is running for a sixth consecutive year in partnership with Just Eat and has 12 regional awards, with five sites shortlisted for each region.

Burgers, Wings and Ribs has been nominated for the South East division alongside premises in Oxfordshire, Hastings, Kent and Southend.

Winners receive £1,000 cash, £200 to spend at Just Eat shop and a trophy.