AMATEUR mountaineer Gwyn Ingman has successfully climbed the business ladder in less than six years.
Gwyn gave up a secure job as a support worker for special needs children with the education authority to launch an Asian food shop with his Thai wife Jira on 8.8.2008 – 8 being a Chinese lucky number..
“Just after we opened the recession hit!” said Wrexham-born Gwyn.
But by diversifying into a noodle bar, hard work has paid off for Gwyn and Jira who have just opened a new Asian food shop under their TryThai banner at St Georges Crescent in the Eagles Meadow shopping centre, right next door to their TryThai Noodle Bar.
With 14 employees, the couple – married 10 years ago – have kept their original Asian food shop at 20 Chester Street and also have warehouse premises.
In fact Gwyn has plans to hopefully convert the Chester Street shop into a therapy centre offering traditional Thai massage and reflexology and other treatments.
It’s all a far cry for the former dyslexic Bryn Offa School student, who started work with the local authority as a gardener. His hobby of mountaineering took him climbing in places like Kyrgyzstan on the Chinese border – and also led him into his next job, as a tree surgeon.
When that business floundered, Gwyn decided to tackle the problems his dyslexia had caused and took on a three year course in psychology at NEWI. It was a fortunate move, because with his horticultural background and diploma in psychology, he was a natural for a job at the new environmental education centre opening on the old Borras airfield for special needs youngsters.
Gwyn stayed at the Millennium Eco Centre for eight years. A friend had introduced him to Jira and on his 40th birthday she flew from Thailand into Manchester airport to start their life together in the UK. The couple have a seven-year-old son, Alexander.
“I married Jira while I was working at Borras. I had had experience in business and I’d got a few ideas together and Jira thought it would be a good idea to open a shop. One thing led to another and I got a business plan together.
“Initially we got premises on the industrial estate. We figured that if people were prepared to travel to Liverpool and Manchester to buy specialist Asian food, they would not mind travelling to the industrial estate,” said Gwyn, 50.
The shop at Chester Street followed shortly after. “We went to a lot of the trade fairs and food shows and found that if people tried the food they were more likely to buy the ingredients, so we had the idea we might have a little café in the back of the shop.
“You could not see the café from the road but shortly after we opened it we had people queuing up. It was very popular and a real little goldmine,” said Gwyn.
That escalated to the present Noodle bar at St Georges Crescent. “There is a growing student population in Wrexham and many of the students are Chinese who like to eat here and now we have a big Filipino base of customers we cater for.
Gwyn admits he ‘does not cook’ but they have hired Thai chefs to cook the noodles, fried rice and curries, sauces, meats and vegetables who gives the food an amazingly authentic flavour.
The Noodle bar opens from 11am to 9pm offering “restaurant quality food at cafe prices” to eat in or take away. Although they have been asked to open later, Gwyn says after 9pm there would be a greater chance of customers arriving after consuming alcohol and with most of his chefs female, he feels happier to stick with his current clientele.
The shop will open from 9am to 6pm but since it is next door to the Noodle Bar, food shop customers could be catered for.
Eagles Meadow Manager Kevin Critchley said: “We’re delighted to welcome TryThai to Eagles Meadow.
“We already have a host of excellent restaurants so TryThai is a great addition to underscore our reputation at Wrexham’s food quarter.”
Check out the business on www.trythainoodlebar.com or pre order noodles for collection or book a local delivery on 01978 266586.
