Trenchers evolving but keeping the same victorious values

The Reign Stays in Spain!

Trenchers evolving but keeping the same victorious values

By Rosie Wowk

Trenchers has a reputation for serving some of the best fish and chips in the country and the Whitby establishment was deservedly awarded ‘Best Fish and Chip Restaurant in the UK’ at The 2019 National Fish and Chip Awards. But this reputation wasn’t built overnight, it’s 40 years in the making.

Trenchers Restaurant originally opened in 1980, launching as a seafood and fish and chip restaurant. The menu was developed to make the most of the fresh produce available in the famous seaside town and prided itself on providing high-quality food. This commitment to local ingredients and delicious freshly prepared dishes meant it became an instant hit with locals and tourists alike.

Following four decades of subtle adaptation, Trenchers familiar atmosphere is eternal. The wellloved decor may have been replaced, cooking equipment updated, and the menu revamped in places, but the soul of the restaurant remains the same.

The restaurant currently employs over 60 dedicated and hard-working members of staff, each one being responsible for ensuring service with a smile is enjoyed during every visit. The management team are dedicated to creating a family atmosphere for customers dining at the restaurant and employees alike.

In 2019, Trenchers Whitby was proud to be awarded ‘Best Fish and Chip Restaurant in the UK’ at The National Fish and Chip Awards. The award recognises outstanding restaurants across the country that serve incredible fish and chips and provide excellent customer service.

After the success of the restaurant and takeaway in Whitby, plans were put in place to grow the brand and find a second location. In the summer of 2018, Whitby’s sister restaurant opened in the newly refurbished Spanish City, Whitley Bay.

Spanish City is a Grade II listed building that originally opened in 1910 and is just a stone throw away from Whitley Bay’s Blue Flag Beach. It’s an iconic symbol of the Northeast and has had many uses in its 110 years including a cinema, ballroom, bingo hall, arcade and nightclub.

Trenchers was given a prime location inside Spanish City. It sits on the ground floor under the spectacular dome, which has been lovingly

restored to its former glory. It has a long sweeping bar and an open cooking range fitted out with topspec cooking equipment. It seats up to 160 in a mixture of stylish booths and marble tables with comfortable seating. In the centre of the room is a grand piano, which is played on specific evenings to give a magnificent feel to the restaurant.

Taking inspiration from its Whitby counterpart but also adding a modern touch, the menu is full of beautiful seafood dishes including, of course, fish and chips. The menu also has a range of meat, vegetarian and vegan options for those looking for something different than seafood.

In 2020, Spanish City’s Trenchers won ‘Best Fish and Chip Restaurant in the UK’, stealing the crown from its sister restaurant in Whitby. It was quite an achievement to win the award just 18 months after opening the restaurant. The team worked extremely hard to achieve this award and it was very well deserved. This victory has been extended due to the pandemic.

The COVID pandemic forced both restaurants to close for over three months in early 2020. Both establishments decided to close for the first lockdown, choosing not to stay open for takeaway. For Whitby, the pandemic saw the town closed to tourists, a large proportion of their customer base. Slowly, as restrictions eased and people felt more comfortable coming back to the town, business started to pick back up. In its 40-year history, Trenchers in Whitby has survived and overcome a raging fire and a damaging flood, so its strong resilience was tested again, but not faltered, by the pandemic.

Both venues reopened initially with collection services, with Whitby running Call & Collect and Spanish City using their reservation system to install Click & Collect. These were firsts for both restaurants, showing their willingness to adapt to the current climate. In the restaurants, both venues lost 50% capacity. Having fixed booths in the Whitby restaurant meant that tables were simply not used to create space and additional screens were installed in between tables. Spanish City had the luxury of more space, but social distancing meant many tables were removed.

One of the biggest challenges has been the ever-changing rules, often at short notice, and the confusion for customers created by the changes. This has led to the loss of stock and a lack of confidence in customers in whether they should be dining out and travelling.

Protection against COVID was an extremely high priority for the Trenchers venues, putting a policy in place that went above and beyond what the government expected. Customers who visited either venue expressed how safe they felt when visiting.

Over the past 18 months, Trenchers has evolved as a business, modifying working practices, learning from experiences, and creating safe environments for staff and customers. This means Trenchers can continue to serve award-winning food and provide excellent customer to those wanting to enjoy fish and chips by the sea.

www.trenchersrestaurant.co.uk