By Mark Andrews

Copyright expressandstar

Jacob’s Table, in Upper Green, Tettenhall, has opened in tribute to Jacob Holman, who was killed in a road crash at Tong in March.

Jacob, 17, was a passenger in an Audi A1 being driven by his friend Jenson Bridges, 17, when the car crashed into a tree in Offoxey Road on March 14.

Jensen had only passed his driving test the day before. Also killed was fellow passenger Simon Evans, 18.

Jacob’s mother Martel Blackford has now taken over the running of the former Fjaka restaurant in Upper Green, which she has renamed Jacob’s Table.

Martel, 44, had worked at the business for 10 years, starting when it was Lime Cafe, and continuing when it was relaunched as Croatian restaurant Fjaka, run by Lorena Kalajdzic, wife of Wolves star Sasa Kalajdzic.

“Sasa and Lorena decided they wanted to sell up, but they wanted someone who would give it a bit of love, and I was in a position where I was able to take over,” said Martel.

A painting of Jacob, who had recently found his true vocation in life working in the kitchen at the village’s nearby Seats restaurant, takes pride of place in the business.

“We lost Jacob’s dad three years ago, he didn’t really enjoy education, and when he left school he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do,” she said.

“But when he got the job at Seats, he found his true vocation, he was really getting into it. We talked about him coming to work for us, but he wanted to stay at Seatrs.”

Martel says it his memory that motivates her to make sure it is a success.

“The reason I wanted to do this was I wanted people to be able to eat at Jacob’s Table,” she said. “He’s watching down on us all the time. We opened last week, and the response we have had from the locals has been amazing.

“I live in the village, and so many people know me and what I have been through, that they have all come out to support us,” she said