New darts fan favourite Justin Hood has opened up on his dreams of a Chinese takeaway empire ahead of the World Championship quarter-finals.
Hood, 32, has been on fire at Alexandra Palace in recent weeks, reaching the last eight despite being unseeded and on his debut appearance at the tournament.
He was 1,000-1 to win the World Championship before it began and after only turning professional in January, Hood has earned £100,000 for his exploits. His highest payout from an event over the previous two years was £6,500.
Throughout the tournament, Hood has repeatedly spoken about his love of Chinese food and desire to open a restaurant of that cuisine one day.
And now, ahead of meeting the legendary Gary Anderson in the quarter-finals on New Year’s Day, Hood’s ambitions go even further.
‘I was thinking of opening the place where I live in Weston-super-Mare, but I also want to get a mobile one,’ Hood said.
Breakout darts star Justin Hood has opened up on his dreams of a Chinese takeaway empire
‘So, when we go away to the Pro Tours, we can sell it to the players. After they’ve taken prize money off me, when they’ve beaten me, they can spend it on my Chinese van.
‘We’ve already got some names for the mobile unit – Egg Fried (Gerwyn) Price or Oche to the Wokky. Things like that. My wife and I have already thought of it all.’
Following his victory over Ryan Meikle in the third round, Hood and nine members of his entourage were said to order £300 of Chinese food, while he was planning to have one on New Year’s Eve ahead of his match with Anderson.
The 32-year-old revealed earlier in this tournament that he tends to order a Chinese with his wife and is unafraid to consume the leftovers the next day.
His order is usually: ‘Special curry, egg fried rice, Singapore chow mein, barbecue ribs, prawn toast, salt and pepper chicken, salt and pepper chips and a bit of barbecue sauce.
‘Whatever she orders, I’ll munch on that the next day,’ added Hood, whose love of the food started when he was 15.
‘I remember the first time we’d done it. We played in the Super League. Finished the game, and then we got it on the way home. All I had was egg fried rice, chicken curry. And I never stopped since.
‘How many times do we eat it a week? Two, three. Well, I’ve got a bit more money now, so probably seven. I can’t cook. I burn toast. I am not being trusted to cook. No chance.’
Meanwhile, speaking after he beat Josh Rock in the last-16, Hood, who used to work as a night porter at a hotel, felt his dream was closer than ever to becoming a reality.
‘I think we’re there,’ he said. ‘I don’t think I’ve got a choice now. I haven’t got a timeline. We’ll be looking into it after the Worlds has finished and go from there.’
