Yippee for Wing

By Paul Fulford on October 3, 2008 6:45 AM | Permalink

One of Birmingham's unsung foodie heroes is a man whose name must be recognised by thousands of people.

Wing Yip is a remarkable figure - arriving in this country from China when he was a young man and working as a glass-washer in a restaurant before launching his own retail business.

Today it is a massive enterprise with large Oriental supermarkets around the country and its own range of ready-made sauces and other products that have found their way on to the shelves of mainstream shops.

The flagship store is right here in Birmingham, where Wing Yip still lives with his family.

But he got a nice slice of national exposure last night when one of the contenders in the BBC2 series The Restaurant popped into one of the London stores to buy provisions.

Birmingham can be proud of Wing Yip, a charming and generous man whose enterprise, imagination and energy have helped ensure that all manner of exotic Far Eastern products and produce are now widely available.

If you've never checked out his super-store in Thimblemill Lane, Nechells, do so. It's an amazing place.