The Jolly Chef

I truly adore the Jolly Chef stand at the Takapuna markets, I believe that its products like this that make customers come back time and time again, for real quality.
My favorite Jolly Chef product is the chilli tomato sauce. Quite simply put its the best I have ever tried. Its hard to perfect simplicity sometimes, but the Jolly Chef seems to nail it on the head.
I have been coming to the Takapuna Markets frequently for the past 2 years and always pop over with my family to see what other delights we can spice up our meals with.
Delightful flavors, herbs, salts, spices and sauces.
You name it the Jolly Chef probably has it.
The kind «Jolly Chef» mans his stall and is always super friendly and polite whenever we pop over for our usual buys.

Open up my pantry and you will find lots of large plastic spice jars that have travelled here from my local market in Takapuna.
As I can’t possibly cook a meal without adding some spices I frequently visit Ted, the Jolly Chef. His stand is just behind Burger King and he has been selling his jolly products at this very market for 16 odd years already. In fact, he only sells his various herbs, spices, chutneys and mustards in Takapuna and nowhere else. His 85 years don’t stop him from pitching up his stand every Sunday before 6am — in fact, coming to the market is a hobby for him and he prepares and fills all the jars at his home in Northcote. You will find pretty much every spice you can think of at a cost that’s well below any supermarket produce.
Ted’s mixed herbs and paprika spice up pretty much all of my dishes and if I can ever convince anyone to tuck into some German-​style sauerkraut with me Ted’s juniper berries won’t be missing. Don’t ever retire Ted!
Please note that Ted does not have a website so I have provided the one of the Takapuna market.