Good friends Jon Handley and Tim West came up with a new angle for a business while fishing together on the Kennet and Avon Canal – and they hope people will get hooked on their idea of “pop up” restaurants in village halls or other community buildings.
Anywhere that can seat a dozen or more people with a kitchen is all they need to set up their Jackamole pop up restaurant providing, they say, a new local dining experience at a good price.
Pop up shops have become increasingly popular in cities and large towns – and even occasionally in Marlborough – opening for short spells in empty premises.
Mr Handley and Mr West, who both live in Burbage, hit on the idea of bringing pop up restaurants to rural Wiltshire while fishing on the canal near their homes.
Neither is a trained chef – Mr West is a sales manager and Mr Handley an aquaculture consultant – but they are both keen home cooks and so far their customers have been delighted with the food.
Jackamole pop up restaurants began garnering attention by word of mouth and through the Burbage News village magazine back in November.
The first Jackamole pop up in Burbage was “a trial by fire but well worth it,” said Mr Handley.
“It’s hard work in terms of both the menu and the fact that we transform the village halls we ‘pop-up’ in by turning them into top quality restaurants.”
Mr West added: “Pop up restaurants and pop up shops are becoming common in big towns and cities and back in the autumn we thought it was time to bring the idea closer to home.
“We’ve created an informal dining experience where we serve delicious cuisine for our local communities at a good price.”
Jackamole – the name comes from Mr West’s dog Jack and Mrs Handley’s dog Mole – is very much a family affair: Wives Lucy Handley and Maria-Anne West run the front of house team and their children – the Wests have two daughters and the Handleys one son – help with preparation and setting up the rooms.
As well as village halls the families have their eyes on a fishing lodge and a renovated blacksmiths forge for future Jackamole pop-ups.
The next one is on Saturday, May 19, at a venue to be confirmed on the website www.jackamole.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here