By Mihai Roșca, Sports Subeditor
It’s Sunday the 9th of March, just past 4 pm. I can’t believe my eyes. I’m sitting opposite 23-year-old JJ – son of Jason – who was chosen to represent the team, outside a cafe on Cotham Hill. He’s not dressed in his uniform but in everyday clothes. Students – my friends, his customers – are walking by staring in amazement. I don’t recall ever seeing the Jason Donervan team in broad daylight – the situation feels strangely surreal.
Starting hot, I invite the question many students have asked but never had answered: ‘So, JJ, what’s your real name?’ Somewhat expectedly, I get the same laughing reply: ‘All you guys need to know is that it’s just Jason Junior. You don’t need to know anymore’, choosing to keep his name private ‘so people can assume.’ It seems that JJ is aware of the mystique surrounding Jason Donervan’s image and is more than willing to keep playing along to keep up the fun.
Despite this, he admits that students could probably find out if they searched hard enough. ‘Two students actually found who I was’, he notes, ‘They found my Instagram and I was genuinely surprised – how the hell did they find me!’
Onto matters of the business, JJ tells me that it has been around for over 25 years, since Millenium Night, 1999. He says that as soon as the council permitted him to use the space, Jason chose to open on the Millenium Night, finishing his first shift in the famous van in the year 2000. Just getting the van there took an hour; JJ tells of the ‘thousands of people’ on the street celebrating.
In discussing why Mustafa Durdu – Jason’s real name – chose to name his van after Jason Donovan, JJ notes: ‘Imagine a UK Jamie Foxx: a singer, an actor, he does TV series, at that time he was massive.’ The name also made sense because Mustafa’s nickname was, and still is, Jason.
Jason Donervan benefits from having one of the best locations in Bristol, located on Queens Road, just a few minutes away from the U1 bus stop. ‘If only you guys knew how much trouble it was [to get that spot] [...] It took a lot of pleading [to the council]’ JJ reminisced.
Back then, Bristol was still developing and Jason noticed that there were no late-night kebab shops or takeaways in the Park Street, Triangle or Whiteladies Road area. So, when Jason came to Bristol he recognised what was soon-to-be their current spot as ‘special’, not only because it was conveniently situated in a student-heavy area, but because Jason saw that there was a growing market for late-night food which he’d soon be able to capitalise on. And he was right.
The whole team evidently work incredibly hard. JJ even says he ‘likes to work.’ Most weeks he works six days, starting at 6 pm and finishing at 6 am. His father only works 2-3 days a week, being 56 years old and now having a young son depending on him. His other colleagues work 5 or 6 days.
Discussing his family’s background, JJ remarks: ‘We're from a poor family.’ His father had 8 siblings and, as JJ notes, ‘thought, the best thing for [him] to do is not to save [himself] but to save [his] family’s life.’ So, Mustafa saved his money and moved to the UK. When JJ’s dad arrived in the UK as an 18-year-old, he worked in a kebab shop in Tottenham. He then travelled to different cities, gained experience, saved money and opened up various businesses. All this while not knowing the system or the language. Quite naturally, they all work hard because they’re ‘scared of going back into that state.’ JJ continued: ‘I don’t want him to work hard anymore’, which tells me that JJ appreciates his father’s efforts and feels he now must step up and provide for his parents in their old age. Though he admits that even if he worked 24/7, Jason would continue work because ‘he’s a workaholic.’
‘It’d be disrespectful to just be complacent, I have to work hard’, JJ notes, ‘He sacrificed his youth for mine, so I’m gonna sacrifice mine for his.’ The business is their pride and joy, it represents their family: ‘I’m so against that [not wanting to work in the family business]. Who else is going to cater [for] you when times are tough, right? It’s all about family […] I came from a loving family.’
I begin to wonder who the other team members are. ‘They’re all family’, JJ tells me. He speaks particularly warmly of Mr Kj and Mr Ramsey, whom he calls ‘the pride’ and ‘the joy’ of the van.
Their love for this business, with family at the centre, is undoubtedly the reason for their customer’s loyalty and satisfaction: ‘I think that’s why the students love us.’ They have the crucial philosophy of putting the customer first. JJ prides himself on the fact that he will advise customers on making the best decision – even if they pay less. He was once a student too, so he knows what it’s like for the budget to be tight. Wanting to get back to his roots and ‘understand the culture’, he went to Turkey after finishing college in the UK. There, he laughingly says, he spent his time as a ‘stereotypical Turkish guy doing barbering and kebab.’
The business is 100% his father’s. JJ says that people underestimate his old man because he sells kebabs. ‘I think he’s a really smart man. His mind works differently’, JJ observes before using a common Turkish phrase to suggest that it’s as if his father ‘has two engines in his brain.’
Mentioning that the kebab van has also become famous for supporting the vulnerable on a night out, JJ replies, ‘If it was my child I’d want someone to do that for them.’ In the past, the team has supported people by calling an ambulance or returning their lost property: ‘He [Mustafa] sees all of you like children, he’s like a godfather, he always reminds us to be “very respectful.”’
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Discussing what it’s like to work at Jason Donervan, JJ excitedly remarks, ‘It’s fun!’ Though all jobs have their challenges, JJ enjoys the perks of working in the van, talking to new people and learning things from students.
Rounding off our conversation, it was necessary to ask JJ the question on everyone’s mind: What’s your kebab shop go-to? Almost immediately, he responds: ‘Oh personally, I got two! I love a kebab pizza – I’m a slut for that [...] And I like uhh.. small doner kebab.’
Showcasing the best of Bristol one kebab at a time, may this wholesome family-run venture remain a staple for students and members of the Bristol community for years to come!
Featured Image courtesy of JJ
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