A COLCHESTER caterer has said he is looking to tap into the lunchtime market by opening a new takeaway shop in Osborne Street.

Selahattin Hos, 53, has been involved in the catering trade in the city since he left Colchester Institute in 1988.

But he has said his new venture, which will be a takeaway called Paragon Fried Chicken, will make greater use of delivery apps such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo.

Mr Hos said the business will open its doors on Wednesday.

The opening hours, Mr Hos adds, will be from 11am until 10.30pm seven days a week – quite a different time of day compared to the shift patterns he used to work when working in the 1990s and 2000s.

He said: “I used to have kebab shops which stayed open until 3am in the morning, but that’s not for me anymore.

“When I ran Bodrum kebab shop, I would have to stay in there until 4am or 5am, in the good old days.

“We didn’t have deliveries, Uber, or Just Eat, but everything moves differently these days.”

The project has been in the pipeline since last year, Mr Hos added, and he will look to tap into a gap he sees in Colchester’s catering scene.

“This has been a four-month project, but I have been in the trade 40 years – some customers were 17 and 18 when I first started, now they’re between 50 and 55.

“There’s only one KFC in Colchester and there only a few kebab shops – there are loads of other takeaways but not chicken places.”

“Lunchtime will be our target, and all the businesses and taxi ranks will be around here."

Even though Mr Hos has been in the game a long time, he still revels in the intensity and the interaction of the trade.

“I enjoy it when people like and appreciate the food – liking your job and what you do will bring you success.

“I like to get involved with the serving and the food, and when customers like it, it makes me happy.”