Inside Merseyside's best Chinese takeaway that's unlike any other

The team behind Merseyside's favourite Chinese takeaway praised their "loyal" customers for helping to crown them as the best in the region. Sixty Kitchen on Chapel Lane in Formby was resoundingly voted the best takeaway by ECHO readers in a hotly contested competition.

Chinese New Year is just around the corner and as we continue to build up to the planned programme of local celebrations the Liverpool ECHO wanted to recognise the best establishments in our region. We recently shared a survey with our readers, asking them to name their favourite restaurant or takeaway in the city - and we were overwhelmed by the response.

After being inundated with suggestions, we asked ECHO readers to vote for their favourite out of the most popular venues that were nominated. One restaurant emerged as a clear winner, with Sixty Kitchen receiving a whopping 552 votes from customers. The Formby business isn't your average takeaway - it's led by Michelin-trained Executive Head Chef Jon Foster Green, a Merseyside native who has worked at renowned establishments such as Northcote Manor, Tattu, and Australasia. Recognised for his talent, Jon also made his mark on BBC's "Masterchef: The Professionals," impressing judges with his innovative flavours and creative dishes.

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Sixty Kitchen has sought to redefine the Chinese takeaway experience in Merseyside. Customers can only order a Sixty Kitchen takeaway via an app, which allows you to see the menu and available delivery slots for the next 180 days. Daily deliveries are limited to a maximum of 60, and every month Jon curates two new menus, one regular and one plant-based, available for two or four people. Every menu includes two starters, two mains and two sides and is a mixture of classic Chinese favourites as well as the chef's take on authentic Chinese dishes.

The ECHO caught up with Jon, 35, and with Craig McDermott, 39, one of the takeaway's owners, after their business was named the best in Merseyside to get an insight into their success. Jon said he thinks the novel concept behind Sixty Kitchen helps explain its overwhelming popularity with customers. He said: "Craig and Paul [the business owners] were the two driving forces behind Sixty Kitchen in its conception. When they were pitching it, it was something that interested me. It gave me the opportunity to do something new and something exciting and something I could really be a part of from the ground up, rather than continuing someone else's vision.

"It's the food that I love and I think you should do what you love. I've eaten some great meals in great restaurants but I couldn't tell you a better meal than having a chippy with my mum and dad in front of the telly on a Friday night."

And following on from the roaring success the business has enjoyed since opening, they have plans to launch another Liverpool site in the next 12 months, with hopes of expanding beyond Merseyside in the future. Craig said: "It is different [to other takeaways]. Some people were a bit wary at first because we choose the menus each month. We aren't shy to say we've learned along the way, with food that didn't travel well or complement each other, but we've learnt all that and we are consistent."

He added: "People from Liverpool try to back their own - local people really supported us until word got around about what we were doing."

Being voted Merseyside's best Chinese is a testament to Sixty Kitchen's "loyal" customer base, and they said they felt proud to be flying the flag for Formby in a Merseyside-wide competition. The takeaway is so popular that customers drive from as far afield as Manchester and North Wales to get their hands on the ever-changing set menu,

Craig added: "It's because we are that little bit different. We put a lot of thought behind our food - we only accept 60 orders a day. We know what we are ordering in daily and the food is going to be fresh because it's cooked daily. We set ourselves apart with the quality of our food - the menu is not overwhelming."

The set menu also carries a set cost of £60 for everything - and while some customers were initially unsure about the pricing strategy, Jon explained that it's down to the quality of ingredients that go into each dish. He said: "It's a fine line - we keep on working out where we fall in that bracket because we are conscious we don't want to be seen as just the place for a treat. We are a local takeaway - that's what we love and are inspired by.

"Yes £60 can seem expensive but at £15 a head for four people - that's not much more than the base level spend. It always feels cheaper to order multiple things for £60, rather than one menu - but we couldn't go any cheaper. We use Cassidy's Greengrocers for fruit and veg which is about six doors down, and a butcher from Morecambe. That's why we have one menu - for consistency and to prove best value for money."

And as Chinese New Year celebrations are set to begin across the region, Jon shared his love for the Scouse tradition of a Chinese chippy, offering a hybrid takeaway menu that he feels can't be matched anywhere else in the UK. He said: "I remember when I first left Liverpool and found out you had to go to a Chinese or a chippy - it blew my mind. You assume it's the same everywhere but I thought it was mental you had to go two places to get chips and sweet and then sour sauce.

"I remember when I got with my wife I asked if we were going out for Chinese New Year and she asked what I meant - I had to explain it was one of the biggest days of the year. It was such a big part of my life growing up."