Pajwa thanks Harrogate for crowning Spoilt Gelato 'Best Takeaway'

The owner of Harrogate's 'Best Takeaway of the Year' has thanked people in the community for their overwhelming support, despite a difficult start for the business.
Spoilt Gelato Best Take Away Award.  Khuram Jahangir and Pajwa Mo of Spoilt Gelato winners of the best take away.Spoilt Gelato Best Take Away Award.  Khuram Jahangir and Pajwa Mo of Spoilt Gelato winners of the best take away.
Spoilt Gelato Best Take Away Award. Khuram Jahangir and Pajwa Mo of Spoilt Gelato winners of the best take away.

Ice-cream and dessert parlour, Spoilt Gelato, on High Street Starbeck recently won the Best Takeaway in the Local Takeaway Awards, by more than 300 votes.

The competition, which is run by Harrogate business, Brand Apps Ltd and powered by Appaway, has seen Spoilt Gelato win a trophy and certificate.

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But Owner of Spoilt Gelato, Pajwa Mo, said he was happiest for his colleagues and the community who had made it possible.

Pajwa said: “I thought we would do OK but I didn’t think we would win the competition. We have got quite a lot of support in Harrogate but I was still surprised.

“I got a call from one of the guys telling us we were streets ahead of everybody else at the time, but when he told me that we had won by more than 300 votes I couldn’t believe it. I was doing backflips.

“I was happy but I’m more happy for my team because they work hard and they deserve it. Obviously I work hard too but everybody has helped; the customers, the staff, the community.

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But this time last year, the business was not in such high spirits.

After a spate of attacks including racial abuse, theft and vandalism, Pajwa admitted he had considered shutting the shop, but the people of Harrogate made him decide otherwise.

He said: “We got broken into three times in the early days.

“At the time we were thinking shall we just pack up and go, because it was costing us more money than anything to repair things on the property.

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“We even had a sit down meeting but we decided we have got a lot of support.

“The people of Harrogate were amazing - we had loads of people coming in just to say sorry that it had happened, not even to buy things, just to come in and show their support against the people that did those things.”

Pajwa thanked the people of Harrogate for their support, claiming the business wouldn’t be here today without them.

He said: “They are the reason we are here. Without all of the support of the people of Harrogate, Starbeck, Jennyfields and Knaresborough it wouldn’t have been possible for us to win this.”

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