Geoff takes the parmo to the nation
THE PARMO is to break out of its Boro heartland and go national as a Tees Valley chef launches the first commercial range of chilled products for ASDA.
The hefty 1200kcal portions of chicken and pork ready-to-cook Parmos developed by Middlesbrough chef Geoff Johns, will be rolling off the production line at a rate of 1,000 a week.
The world’s first 2,500sq ft Parmo plant on Skippers Lane industrial estate has been part-funded by Stockton Borough Council, while local food group Northumbria Larder helped with planning.
“I don’t know about conquering the world, but Spain might be a possibility, where there’s a high concentration of Teessiders staying in Benidorm and Tenerife,” said Mr Johns. “If you come from Middlesbrough and you see an English pub out there selling Parmos, you’ve just got to have one.”
Jeff the Chef Parmos made with cheddar and Bechemal sauce will go on sale in more than a dozen of ASDA’s North-east stores. The retailer has insisted that all the meat must be British.
The original European Parmo was based on escalope of veal with Parmesan cheese.
“It’s hard to say why it’s so popular in Middlesbrough, but it’s moving out of its heartland now - it’s got as far as Scarborough,” said Mr Johns, who says it’s still his favourite takeaway in front of a Boro match on the box. If the lass is out and football’s on, I’ll have one... but they’re not as good as mine.”
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