On 12 September we marked one year since we opened our shelves to shoppers with halal-certified Japanese food. A year ago, Think GG became the first shop in Longsight where you could walk in and buy halal-certified gyoza, karaage and Japanese sauces the same way you buy anything else for dinner. Twelve months on, we want to say thank you to everyone who came through the door, and share what the year has looked like at Think GG Cash & Carry.
Why we started
Japanese food is loved across Manchester, but for many Muslim families it came with a question mark. Soy sauce, teriyaki, eel sauce and ramen broth are often made with mirin, sake or other ingredients you cannot check. Too many people told us they had simply stopped cooking Japanese food at home.
So we set out to put halal-certified Japanese food on a shelf in Longsight, where families can see it, pick it up and take it home the same day.
What year one brought
The Omakase by Cupid range. Our halal-certified frozen range arrived in Longsight: gyoza, chicken karaage, yakitori skewers, bao buns, hoisin duck spring rolls and roasted eel. You can see the full Omakase by Cupid range online.
A halal-certified sauce range. Yakisoba, yakitori, gochujang, teriyaki, eel sauce, okonomi, kimchi and fry sauce, all made with no alcohol, no wine and no spirit vinegar. Browse the halal sauce range.
Seafood and sushi toppings under one roof. From tobiko and masago to king prawns, crab, cuttlefish and golden pomfret, our frozen sushi toppings and exotic seafood sit alongside everything else you need for a Japanese night in.
Restaurants and takeaways on board. Sushi bars, takeaways, buffets and caterers across Manchester and the UK now build menus around the same products our retail customers buy.
What you have been cooking
Some of your favourite questions at the counter have become our cooking guides:
Thank you
To every family who tried gyoza for the first time, every restaurant that trusted us with their menu, and every neighbour in Longsight, Levenshulme, Rusholme and Gorton who told a friend about us: thank you. You made our first year.
What comes next
We are adding more to the range and more guides to help you cook with it. If there is a product you would love to see on our shelves, tell us next time you visit or send us a message. Many of our best ideas come from you.
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