Healthy Rivalry
Mon, 13 May 2013 09:36:00 BST
Identical twins go into fast food business
MATTHEW and Jeff Postlethwaite are twin brothers with identical ambitions – to score major success as fast food entrepreneurs.
The hard-working 21-year-old University of Huddersfield students have got off to a head start – they are both on the same University of Huddersfield course – they are taking separate paths in business by opening their own, very different food outlets.
Earlier this year, Jeff and a fellow student business partner opened Twists Pasta Bar on New Street, in Huddersfield Town Centre.
Now Matthew is fully up and running with his appetising venture. Named Wrapik, it is based in Huddersfield’s Queensgate Market, offering a range of tortilla wraps, salads and nachos. Although based on Mexican street food, Matthew has put his own twist on the menu and says that his goal is to offer healthy fast food by using good quality ingredients and cooking methods that avoid the over-use of oil.
Matthew has hired staff, but he is often at Wrapik in person, preparing the food and serving the customers. And at the same time he – like brother Jeff – is completing the final year of his Enterprise Development degree course at the University of Huddersfield. As part of the course, both brothers have been mentored by businessman Theo Paphitis.
The course requires students to start up a fully-fledged business as part of their studies, and Wrapik is Matthew’s venture. But he aims to grow the business and open outlets in other towns after he has graduated [story continued below].
Pictured above with the Vice-Chancellor Professor Bob Cryan [centre] are Jeffrey Postlethwaite [left] and Matthew Postlethwaite [right].
Do the twins – who come from the Cumbrian town of Whitehaven – regard themselves as competitors?
“In business terms you could say that we are rivals,” said Matthew. “But if one of us was struggling we would always help each other out. We might work together at some point, but we do have different ideas about things and arguments can develop!”
