Marinade
Made using generous amounts of chilli, the fiery marinade imparts a hot red tint to chicken wings as well as an intense spicy heat that will set tastebuds tingling. To give your customers the perfect wing experience you can complement the marinade with the Chicken Train Southern Fried Hot Double Breader to obtain a signature crispy chicken wing exterior.
Hot and spicy chicken wings can be served in a multitude of ways to create a variety of menu options. For example, they can be portioned into three or six and served on their own or added to a bucket, a meal deal, or a sharing platter. Add in a cooling mayo dip or double up on spice with a Scotch Bonnet or sriracha sauce.
Chicken wings are increasingly becoming hot property, featuring on more and more menus. They even command their own event, Wing Fest, the world’s largest chicken wing festival held annually in the UK where over 200,000 wings are served!
Karen Heavey, Brand Manager at Kerry Foodservice, comments: “Customers are increasingly expecting spicier flavours when it comes to chicken, so we’ve created a marinade that really ramps up the heat. Delivering on taste, texture, flavour and, of course, that all-important hit of spice, Chicken Train Hot ’n’ Spicy Marinade enables fish and chip shops to capitalise on this trend, widen their menus and compete with the big high street chicken chains.”
Chicken Train Hot ’n’ Spicy Marinade is available in a powdered format in resealable 2kg tubs. Also available in the marinade range are Piri Piri Extra Hot, Piri Piri Hot, Piri Piri Mild, and Lemon and Herb, giving operators a choice of heat levels for their chicken.
Chicken Train 0800 138 1938
www.kerry-foodservice.co.uk
As consumer demand for spicier foods heats up, Chicken Train’s new Hot ’n’ Spicy
is the perfect coating to take traditional chicken wings to the next level
Well already approaching the end of the first quarter of 2018!
Hopefully it will be a busy one for shops and suppliers as we approach Mother’s day and Easter too.
Congratulations to all at Friars Pride. Once again, they have delivered a fantastic trade show with even more visitors it seemed than ever.
A busy offering this month for your delights. First off we review many of our oil and fat suppliers giving you the chance to see what many top shops are using and why. Also,
NationalFish & Chip Day once again managed to create quite a stir this year. Held on Friday 2nd June it was great to see so many shops joining in, to promote our national dish. Organised by NEODA, the day delivered massive exposure for fish and chips at a time when we need it most, well done NEODA and to all who took part.
This month we feature some great technology partners to help you learn more about one
we have our great sausage feature too!
of the most important & growing areas of our industry. It is also once again time to launch the National Fish & Chip Awards. Over 40 shops and sponsors of the awards convened at the shop of the overall winner of 2023, Whiteheads of Hornsea. Thanks to Geoff & the team for your fantastic hospitality!
Our front-page partner for March is Pukka Pies. They supply millions of pies to fish and chip shops across the UK and they are helping us celebrate National Pie Week. If you would like to advertise, get involved or tell us some news please email me austen@ chippychat.co.uk – thanks for your support enjoy the issue.
As usual email me
Austen
austen@chippychat.co.uk, with any news and or if you would like to advertise with us.
Chippy Chat Ltd Oak Lane Littleport Ely
Cambridgeshire
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Littleport Ely
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Rock and roll superstar Liam Gallagher recently dropped into a Derbyshire chippy for his tea! He ordered a selection of food, including fish & chips, and posed for photos with co-owner Kirsten Grafton and their customers. The takeaway posted a photo of the superstar on Facebook, stating:
“Looks like Liam found his Oasis in the Peak District.”Manager Harry Grafton, 23, said the Wonderwall singer also asked for a battered sausage whilst he waited too.
Toll Bar Fish and Chips is the UK’s only Grade II-listed fish and chip shop. It is based on the village’s main road and has been serving up fried treats since 1926.
The chippy is based inside the village’s old Toll House - built originally to charge people who drove down this main road back in the 1800s. Its octagonal design was built to match the unusual shape of the village church.
They have previously hosted both Jarvis Cocker and Tom Cruise
Have you had anyone famous in your chip shop? Email Austen@chippychat.co.uk
WE HAVE SUPPLIED INBUILT SUPERPAD SYSTEMS (TRIPLE FILTRATION) FOR FACTORY FITTING TO:
MARTYN EDWARDS
FRANK FORD
KIREMKO (KFE)
HENRY NUTTALL SCOTRANGE
EDEN RANGE
WE HAVE ALSO RETRO-FITTED BASKET FILTRATION AND SUPER PAD UNITS TO SHOP INSTALLED RANGES. PLEASE CALL FOR ADVICE ON YOUR RANGE
June 15th
National Beer Day Britain
Beer Day Britain is an annual celebration on June 15th for all beer lovers and it celebrates all beer including traditional ales, mainstream lagers, and limited edition craft beer and everything in between
July 3rd to 9th
Great British Pea Week
AN
It aims to increase awareness and understanding of the provenance and heritage of peas, giving British consumers a reason to celebrate the little green nutritional wonders during harvesting time.
July 7th
World Chocolate Day
The event is dedicated to all things cocoa-based, and it’s certainly not time to discriminate. Indulge yourself or share with others, time to batter those twixes or mars bars
July 16th
National Ice Cream Day
This most special of days takes place annually on the third Sunday in July and it’s a magical summer celebration that gives everyone an excuse to grab a cone, tub or bowl of their favourite ice cream. So stock up and increase your ice cream sales
September 10th
Isle of Ely/Chippy Chat Open Day
Join us on the farm for a day of networking and discovering all things potato! Free tickets contact austen@chippychat.co.uk
October 16th – 22nd
UK Coffee Week
The nation’s biggest celebration of coffee that helps change lives in coffee growing communities
December 10th
The Chippy Chat Ball
The Chippy Chat Ball is booked in, fingers crossed, pandemics allowing we will be back this year.
Starting this May and continuing all year, Sarson’s will be rallying the nation to support their local chippies as part of a UK-wide campaign which will see the UK’s number one malt vinegar brand reimburse 50 chippy meals every Friday, with one chippy scooping £1,000 cash.
Chippies getting involved with Sarson’s’ Fryday campaign can visit www.switchtosarsons.co.uk to request a free full size (20ltr) sample OR a free 12 x 300ml case of Sarson’s craft-brewed malt vinegar, alongside Sarson’s Fryday POS kits, which will help explain to customers how they can get one of 50 weekly chippy teas absolutely free! The promotion also applies to pubs and restaurants serving fish and chips.
Customers simply need to purchase their meals on a Friday, sloshing generously with Sarson’s, before uploading both a picture of their receipt and of their chippy meal next to a bottle of Sarson’s or any Sarson’s Fryday promotional material to www.sarsonsfryday.co.uk. From there, they will find out if they are one of 50 lucky people to get their meal on Sarson’s. At the end of the campaign, the chippy with the most customer entries will win a whopping £1,000! (see full Ts and Cs at www.switchtosarsons.co.uk)
Vanni Cataldi, Marketing Director at Sarson’s’ Brand Owner, Mizkan Euro, comments: “Fish and chips have been at the heart of our communities for generations, yet rising costs for both operators and consumers are beginning to bite. Put simply, we need to save our beloved chippies! If everyone in the UK visited their local just twice more per year, it could be enough to solve this issue; that’s why we’ve created the Fryday campaign. As a brand that passionately bangs the
drum for the quality fish and chip shops of Great Britain, we’re urging customers to increase their visits and operators to get involved by requesting the free POS kits to help make this happen. Together we can help turn profitable Fridays into sensational Sarson’s Frydays!”
The National Federation of Fish Friers have also thrown their support behind Sarson’s’ Fryday campaign, with President Andrew Crook saying: “Fish & Chip shops are so deeply entrenched in British culture and history, the thought of them disappearing from our high-streets and seaside towns all together is unimaginable, but given the increasing threat of closure, could soon become a bleak reality.
“From the rising cost of ingredients to the operational challenges that chippie’s face, our national dish is in danger.
“As a sector, we’re proud to see Sarson’s taking action to preserve our beloved chippies. By participating in this campaign, operators can drive footfall and profits while offering their customers free fish & chips!
“Together we can all contribute to the preservation of an industry that is an essential part of our heritage and a much-loved part of our local communities.”
Sarson’s’ Fryday campaign is underpinned by a programme of foodservice and wholesaler media activation.
Friday 2nd of June was National Fish & Chip Day in association with NEODA. Once again hundreds of shops took place. Here are a few pictures from the day itself.
Over 200 Chelsea Pensioners enjoyed freshly cooked fish and chips at their home in the Royal Hospital Chelsea to celebrate National Fish & Chip Day.
The event was a momentous occasion with the ex-army men and women treated to the delicious taste of fish and chips alongside portions of mushy peas, curry sauce and onion rings all courtesy of ingredients supplier Ceres.
Pensioner Roy Palmer, who served in the British Army for 27 years, has enjoyed fish and chips all over the world, from Germany and Hong Kong to Blackpool and Skegness. Holding a passion for fish and chips, he cites his favourite chippy as Monty’s in Mablethorpe, Yorkshire.
Roy said: “I love fish and chips and today they were fantastic. The batter was lovely and the mushy peas were great too. It was lovely to be part of National Fish & Chip Day.”
Tucking into cod, chips and mushy peas evoked memories for Roy of enjoying the nation’s favourite dish as a youngster. He added: “The first time I had fish and chips was in either 1946 or 1947. They used to cook them in the town about three miles away from where I lived, wrap them in newspaper and put them in a cardboard box. They would go all around the villages selling them and people used to queue up to buy them. I lived in the last village and by the time they got to us, the food was almost cold and so congealed that you had to pull the chips apart, but we still loved them!”
Another Chelsea Pensioner, Roger, who served for 31 years after being recruited by the Army when he was just 16, recalled chips costing just 3p when he was a boy. He too has a passion for fish and chips having worked in a fish restaurant peeling potatoes when he was 14.
Roger comments: “We have fish and chips here every Friday and it’s a very popular lunch meal, but today it has been extra special.”
Stelios Theocharous, managing director of Ceres, expressed his profound honour in serving these remarkable men and women who dedicated their lives to protecting us in extraordinary ways.
“It’s an absolute honour to serve these men and women who have dedicated their lives to serving us in the most amazing way. This generation has been brought up on fish and chips, and I couldn’t think of a more fitting way to celebrate National Fish & Chip Day than by recreating that chip shop experience in their home. It’s our chance to thank them for everything they have done to keep us safe.”
The Chelsea Pensioners, easily recognisable in their striking scarlet uniform, are esteemed members of the UK’s veteran community. They reside at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a historic establishment founded by King Charles II in the heart of London over three centuries ago. Today, the hospital is home to around 300 army veterans who have served in various campaigns.
www.worldofceres.com
We are one of the UK’s leading providers of end-to-end online ordering systems, mobile apps, and self-service kiosks for the food service industry.
Known for our outstanding customer service and innovative, reliable technology solutions, we have helped over one thousand venues to minimise their costs, maximise their profitability, and take full control of all aspects of online and instore ordering, payment, and delivery over the last 9 years.
Our goal is simple, to help restaurants and takeaways serve their customers direct, reducing costs, and growing their businesses. There is no doubt that the rise of platforms like Deliveroo and Uber-eats have created a huge market for food delivery, particularly since the pandemic, however many independent businesses are struggling with the rising cost of delivering to their customers.
Part of the problem is increasing wages. The fact that people can now work for multiple delivery services, earning between £10 and £15 per hour means many businesses are struggling to employ their own delivery drivers. Add on the rising price of fuel and this makes delivery a much bigger cost.
On-demand delivery offers a costeffective alternative, especially for smaller food service businesses, and is often cheaper, or no more expensive than employing your own drivers.
If you’re considering starting out with delivery, then on-demand may be a good place to begin, here’s why:
- You’re not employing anyone – you pay a fixed fee for each delivery, usually based on distance, with no other ‘on-costs.’ You may get a different delivery driver every time, but the food will be collected and delivered in the same way, for the same fixed fee, with no worries about holidays or sickness.
- You only pay for what you use –employing staff means you pay them for the time they are needed to work, even if you have no deliveries. With on-demand you pay as you use, so it
only costs something when you have the orders to fulfil. No more paying people to sit and wait!
- No more limits – if you employ just two drivers the number of orders you can fulfil is determined by their capacity. With on-demand you can scale instantly, with little or no restrictions, meaning you can grow your business quicker and more easily.
At App4 we work with several delivery providers, such as NASH, who offer a wide range of third-party delivery services, meaning you can get the maximum coverage, at an affordable price, which is automatically managed using our easyto-use order management system.
Our integrations can provide you with:
Driver tracking
Delivery Management
Last mile delivery
Order Management
By linking online orders direct to the delivery provider, we can give you complete visibility of who is collecting the order, when they will arrive, where they are in transit and when the food arrives with your customer. Your customers also benefit from full visibility of where their order is and when it will arrive.
We also integrated directly with a variety of Epos providers to enable a seamless link between your Epos and online orders with your menu always in sync and up to date.
For more information on how App4 can integrate your online ordering with on-demand delivery or Epos partners, call us on 01332 418 573 or email sales@ app4.co.uk.
From humble beginnings in 1871, Ben Shaws has stood the test of time with timeless fizzy soft drinks that pair perfectly with the classic taste of Fish & Chips. Nothing beats digging into piping hot fish and chips, fresh out of
the fryer and doused in salt and vinegar, accompanied with a can of your favourite Ben Shaws flavour.
There are many things that divide the nation on Fish & Chips; Curry sauce or Gravy? Tomato Ketchup or Brown Sauce? Cod or Haddock? Scraps or No Scraps? Or it might be Dandelion & Burdock or Bitter Shandy, but rest assured it is always Ben Shaws.
Whilst some flavours come and go –the classic British flavours of Dandelion & Burdock, Bitter Shandy, Cloudy Lemonade and Cream Soda remain the most refreshing flavours to serve with your Fish & Chips.
Ben Shaws drinks are the choice of many leading fish and chip shops including Towngate Fisheries, Fish & Chips at 149 and Captain Cod in Boston.
FIZZY POP
Embrace the magic, mayhem and madness and join us on a crazy journey of flubbles to discover our whizzy fizzers of nostalgic niceness. Stock up now, as the weather gets better more of your customers will ask for the great taste of Ben Shaws
To find your local stockist visit www. benshawsdrinks.com
Instagram - @benshawsdrinks
Twitter - @benshaws_drinks
Facebook - @benshawsdrinks
In celebration of this year’s Norway Day, here in the UK, the Norwegian Seafood Council engaged multiple awardwinning Fish & Chip vendors across the nation, for a day of delicious fish and chips using sustainably sourced Norwegian cod and haddock. The 17th May marks Norway’s Constitution Day and is a day traditionally celebrated by friends, families, and communities coming together for feasts and festivities.
The main 17th May celebration in the UK takes place in Southwark Park, London and is one of the largest Norway Day celebrations outside of Norway.
To add the British twist to a traditionally Nordic offering, the Norwegian Seafood Council partnered with Pimp My Fish, winner of the mobile operator category in the 2023 National Fish & Chip Awards, to offer attendees portions of succulent Norwegian cod and double cooked chips, which proved to be a big hit on the day.
This year’s guest of honour, Defence Minister, Bjørn Arild Gram alongside the Norwegian Ambassador to the UK, Wegger Chr. Strømmen also enjoyed the delicate flavours of Norway’s prized whitefish with their own portions of Britain’s favourite dish.
Minister Bjørn Arild Gram commented: “It’s been fantastic spending the Norwegian Constitution Day in London. And what better dish to enjoy at the London celebration than fish and chips, an iconic British dish made with sustainably caught Norwegian cod. Norway and the UK have a strong seafood partnership and I was impressed learning more about the making of fish and chips, and of course getting a taste of the delicious Norwegian cod and chips served by the awardwinning Pimp My Fish team.”
Owner of Pimp My Fish, John Hudgell added: “Celebrating Norway Day at Southwark Park, we’ve combined a quintessentially British dish with wonderful Norwegian cod. We take great pride in cooking our fish and chips to absolute perfection and we’ve had some lovely feedback from those tasting it during the day.”
Chippy Chat Publishing Editor Austen Dack was also in attendance. He said: “What a great day we all had in London. It was so good to see so many people tucking into award winning Norwegian Fish and celebrating the day together.”
Ahead of Norway Day, category winners of the 2023 National Fish & Chip Awards, of which was proudly sponsored by Seafood from Norway, received a celebratory POS pack and a social media toolkit, allowing vendors to celebrate Norway Day with their customers and serve top quality Norwegian cod and haddock.
This activation was an exciting opportunity to collaborate with National Fish & Chip Award winners ahead of their prize trip to Norway in June, where they first-hand will experience the Norwegian fleet’s world-class sustainable fishing and processing facilities, producing premium quality whitefish for the UK’s favourite dish.
Victoria Braathen, UK director for the Norwegian Seafood Council commented: “It has been fantastic to connect with and work so closely with winners of the 2023 National Fish & Chip Awards to celebrate Norway Day.”
She continued, “Norway is proud supplier of seafood to the UK, and fish and chips is very much an important part of the seafood relationship between our two countries. Joining forces and being part of these celebrations is the perfect way to engage and come together. Food unites people – and this is certainly true when it comes to Brits’ favourite dish of fish and chips.”
87% of diners agree sustainable fish is important to them, but only one quarter know what to look for when visiting their local fish & chip shop.
Serve cod and haddock from Norway to give your customers confidence that they are choosing delicious protein from a country that takes great pride in its fishing methods and rich heritage delivering superior quality and sustainability credentials.
Cold Clear Waters
World’s Largest Cod Stocks
Pioneering Stock Management
Origin Matters.
seafoodfromnorway.co.uk
The 2024 National Fish and Chip Awards are now open for entry. The process which takes over eight months to crown the winners is the largest promotional platform for the UK’s 10,000 fish and chip shops and gives all finalists the chance to market themselves to a local national and even international audience! The awards were launched at current champions Whitehead’s of Hornsea! (See pages 36-37).
Celebrating the great tradition of fish and chips, the annual National Fish & Chip Awards showcase the best talent, quality and choice offered by fish and chip businesses across the UK. Rewarding excellence, the awards not only put successful businesses on the map, via regional and national media coverage they also can increase shop takings by over 50%. Now in their 35th successful year and recognised as one of the most prominent and respected seafood industry events in the UK, the awards have come to be regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the fish and chips world.
Established in 1988, the awards, now organised by the NFFF (National Federation of Fish Friers), continue to support the wider fish and chip industry by:
• Rewarding individual excellence in a range of different award categories.
• Playing a role in raising quality standards and providing a benchmark for all fish and chip businesses to aspire to.
• Entering the awards can also add excitement in motivating staff to be the best.
• Providing a robust platform from which to undertake a wide variety of media activity promoting the fish and chip sector and its many diverse facets, and to encourage the continued consumption of fish and chips amongst both the UK population and visitors to the country.
AWARD CATEGORIES FOR 2024 include.
Fish & Chip Takeaway of the Year
Fish & Chip Restaurant of the Year
From Field to Frier
Staff Training & Development
Sustainability & Environment
Marketing & Innovation
NFFF Quality Accreditation Champion
Supplier of the Year
Best Multiple Operator
Best Mobile Operator
Best Newcomer Award
Best Overseas Shop
Young Fish Frier
Entering the awards is now easier than ever and the accolade of being judged one of the best fish and chip businesses in the UK can have an enormous positive impact on your business. To enter visit thefishandchipawards.com.
Media activity undertaken by the NFFF in relation to the awards generates fantastic publicity for both participating businesses and the wider fish and chip sector.
Across the award categories, various judging rounds culminate at a prestigious awards ceremony in London in February at the Plaza Westminster Hotel where all the award winners will be announced.
Enter today at www.thefishandchipawards. com, entry is FREE, and you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain from this process!
By Austen Dack
To celebrate the promotion of our beloved Ipswich Town to the Championship we decided to travel to the Fylde Coast to see them play Fleetwood Town in their last game of the season.
Our chosen auberge was The North Euston Hotel just a short perambulation from the resort’s seafront.
No trip to the area can be made without a visit to Blackpool, I hear you say? We took the tram for a 40-minute ride to the resort. Departing at the famous tower we then stepped onto the town’s central pier. Opened on 30th May 1868, it now houses Blackpool’s world-famous Big Wheel plus a whole host of amusements, food stalls and sideshows.
The centre of the resort was busy which on a chilly but pleasant early May weekend was good to see. One thing they are not short of are fish & chip shops. Ranging from the recently refurbished Harry Ramsdens, and a large seafront impressive Papa’s to the many street lined units all ready and able to attract the town’s 18 million annual visitors with an eyewatering £1.5 billion pounds burning a hole in their pockets.
Our shop of choice for the day was Yorkshire Fisheries. Previous Fleetwood Granada Fish Bar owner (and legend) Steve Lynton tipped us off, and of course their No 1 status on Trip Adviser (1,600+ five-star reviews) took our attention too.
The shop has been in existence for over 100 years. Records show that a Mr. William Taylor was working the business
as a fried fish supplier back in 1907.
In 1989, the shop was bought by George and Val Vasiliou, and they upheld its reputation as the best chippy in town. When they decided to retire in 2005, George’s niece and husband Maria and Pavlos took over the reins, wanting very much to keep the quality and standard just the same. They have won many awards including the Quality Award from the NFFF, Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor, and the Gold Taste of Lancashire Award.
We were not let down. We were welcomed by Maria. The restaurant is not huge, and I am told there can be queues to get in, so we were lucky to go straight to our seats. Between us we ordered cod, haddock (locally landed at Fleetwood), sausage and their delicious veggie homemade pie. And of course, a plentiful supply of Cambridgeshire grown agria chips too. The food was all perfect hot, crispy batter, fluffy chips and lovely mushy peas. Serving sizes were perfect. Haddock and chips at just £9.50 to eat in is an incredible price (think they could increase that) plus there were lots of choices for you to up or downsize depending on how hungry you were. Our table of 3 was fed and watered for just over £30. It was a pleasure to meet Maria and Pav and to visit a shop that has been there for over 100 years!
The next day we watched Ipswich play out a 2-2 draw with Fleetwood Town. Ahead of us an arduous 6-hour drive back home. Finally, it was so good to see us leave the third tier of English Football. A a trip back to this quintessentially British area seems unlikely.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE. CHOOSE GUARANTEED SUSTAINABLE FISH.
A PROTEIN PACKED NUTRITIOUS MEAL r/
Please contact your local distributor/ supplier for further information.
Quayside fish restaurant in Whitby donated a percentage from every fish and chip meal bought over the town’s special weekend.
The town’s fish and ships festival were a celebration of its fishing and maritime heritage with events and open days around Whitby. Zoe Fusco, owner of Quayside restaurant delivered a cheque for £300 raised over the weekend.
Alongside generous donations from the pubic who came along to the RNLI station open day, and money raised by the Friends of Whitby Lifeboat selling teas and coffees took the total raised over the weekend to £1365. Whitby RNLI coxswain Howard Fields said: ‘It was very kind of the team at Quayside to fundraise for us over the weekend, the money raised helps us to continue what we do, saving lives at sea. Thank you also to all of our visitors over the weekend, we loved being able to open our doors and show you around the station, we can’t do what we do without people’s generous donations and support.’
Stuart Fusco Quayside owner said “It was great to do our bit for the Fish and Ships festival by supporting our local RNLI at the same time! For every fish and chip meal bought over the course of the festival weekend (20th & 21st May 2023), we donated a percentage to the Whitby RNLI, who do such fantastic work.”
For more information or if your shop would like to support the RNLI contact Lifeboat Press Officer Ceri Oakes on 07813359428 or at ceri_oakes@rnli.org.uk
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.
Who have you been raising money for at your shop? Email austen@chippychat.co.uk
By Austen Dack
Potato prices have been rising recently and leaving many chip shops facing even more unbudgeted rising costs. However, this seasons prices and indeed state of the crop were predicted by a leading merchant and producer Isle of Ely Produce in September 2022 at their annual FREE chip shop owners open day.
Isle of Ely Produce Director Oliver Boutwood said: “Last year we had a perfect storm during the growing season. First off, we had a near drought causing the potatoes to stop growing and therefore producing smaller potatoes not usually conducive for chipping potatoes, and also a smaller yield. Then we had a few weeks of heavy rain, which didn’t help. Similar conditions across Europe led to Europe wide potato shortages meant that other markets such as crisping would be stretched too, leading to an even bigger shortage.”
Oliver actually predicted at the chip shop owners open day that bags could reach £20 in the spring of 23, and to budget for these increases across the season. It is also worth noting that potatoes up to year end of 2022 were actually selling for less than the cost to plant, grow, harvest and transport, leading to some farmers changing crop.
Isle of Ely Produce are once again opening their doors to chip shop owners and managers on Sunday September 10th, 2023! It is one of the FREE industry events of the year. The event starts at 9.30 am at their farm in Ely, Cambridgeshire with a coffee
and a chance to talk to industry colleagues. It is invaluable, not only will chip shop owners and staff find out first-hand how the potato crop is faring for 2023/24, but they also get an idea about predicted cost and quality of the crop for the year ahead too. It also showcases the role they play in the National Fish & Chip Awards with their From Field to Frier category.
Add to that lots of key suppliers will be attending/ sponsoring on the day too. In 2022 they included Pukka Pies, Middleton Foods, Premier 1 Filtration, TQuality, Drywite, Friars Pride, Preoday (Qikserve), Agrico, McWhinney, Seafood from Norway, BD Signs, Meijer Potato UK, Panaepos, Smales, PJ Lee & Sons, HZPC, JFK, Farm Electronics, Blakemans, Frymax & more.
You will also watch presentations on their giant AV, with full staging, from award winning fish and chip shop owners, giving you valuable advice for your shop(s). Guest speakers for the 2023 event already include NFFF President Andrew Crook, Sarah Heward from the Real Food Café, Calum Richardson from the Bay Stonehaven plus National Fish & Chip Takeaway of the Year winner Geoff Whitehead from Hornsea.
Please email austen@chippychat.co.uk if you would like to attend. Entrance is FREE
The event is suitable for all levels of management and also young friers too. Maximum of 3 tickets per shop. FREE refreshments will also be served. You can also order your tickets at www.eventbrite. co.uk, and search for Isle of Ely Produce
Wright’s Fish and Chips officially opened at the Cumming City Centre Georgia USA recently, inviting guests to come in and try its authentic British-style recipes so reported the Forsyth County News.
Before serving up their first plate of fish and chips, co-owner Bradley Wright and his team celebrated the opening with a ribbon cutting alongside City of Cumming Mayor Troy Brumbalow and members of the British Consulate in Atlanta.
“I’m really excited,” Wright said. “It’s been a long time coming for sure.”
He and the other owner, his mum, Chantelle, first started in the restaurant industry in Britain where they became well known for their fish and chips. When they moved to Georgia to work abroad, they quickly realised there was a market for the fried fish and fries here as well.
The two first opened Wright’s Fish and Chips in 2020 at their first location off of Hwy. 9 near Andean Chevrolet, where they were met with huge success. Many in the community loved the food and traditional flavours.
Now, Wright said they will be able to serve even more in the community after moving into a larger space in the Cumming City Centre.
“The amount of foot traffic that’s going to come through and the number
of events we can partake in as well will be absolutely incredible,” Wright said.
For those visiting the restaurant for the first time, Wright recommended trying out the fish and chips or cod bites and chips.
“It’s nothing like you have over here,” he said. “It’s nothing like you can get in a little pub or British-style thing. We do everything authentic. We cut the chips by hand every morning. We import the batter from the U.K., so it’s as authentic as you can get it.”
On the way out of the restaurant, guests can also pick out sweets, chips, teas and coffees imported from the U.K. that sit on shelves lining the wall near the register. These include classic British treats like Jaffa Cakes, Jelly Tots, Walkers crisps and many more.
“A lot of this stuff is home to a lot of people,” Wright said. “Coming here and picking up a chocolate bar or a packet or crisps or a couple of drinks and a pie, it just helps people feel like they’re back at home. And that’s the point. Having a friendly face to come by and having a good chat is sometimes exactly what you need.”
Wright said part of their goal in opening the restaurant was to help serve the more than 80,000 people in metro Atlanta who are originally from Britain and might be missing their favourite foods. They also wanted to bring new food to those who have never been to the U.K.
“It’s something that I’ve really wanted
for a long time,” Wright said. Chantelle Wright said. “They fed almost 1,000 people at the grand opening and the next day it was the same.”
Wright’s Fish and Chips is now open every day from 11 a.m.-9 p.m., except Mondays. It will also be open until 10 p.m. during events at the City Centre. The restaurant is located at 451 Vision Drive in Cumming.
www.thewrightchippy.com
Launched
By Austen DackThe National Fish and Chip Awards organised by the NFFF are once again open for entry! I was thrilled to be one of over 40 award sponsors, suppliers and winning shops to attend the awards launch at 2023 Best Takeaway winner Whitehead’s of Hornsea owned by Geoff Whitehead.
Walking into Geoff’s shop at around noon on a Monday immediately we saw just how popular the shop is. Every table was full of locals and visitors alike tucking into their trademark award winning fish and chips. Geoff said entering and winning the awards has led to this dramatic uplift in sales.
Talking about the National Fish and Chip awards Geoff said. “Entering the National Fish and Chip Awards gave us
the opportunity to talk about our passion for delivering quality fish and chips, but it also helps us to continually improve our business. All our staff share this ethos, and it was ultimately down to them that we did so well. Winning the award has been amazing for us. We get visitors from across the UK (and even Europe) giving us a try due to the publicity. Our goal is to continue this journey of excellence, we see the award success as the start of our journey and will always continue to celebrate best practice.”
My visit to Geoff’s shop also gave me the chance to take some Babylon for Geoff to fry and try. Agrico and Isle of Ely
Produce were proud award sponsors in 2023, and we have been trialling Babylon at award winning shops across the UK for over a year now.
Geoff said of Babylon. “It is good to see new varieties coming into shops. I am pleased to hear that Agrico are thinking about the consumer when developing
new breeds as well as the farmer. Babylon fried well, held up well in the top box and of course looked and tasted great, good for my customers.”
Alex Moore Sales Manager for Agrico said: “We have been working with Isle of Ely and Chippy Chat to champion best practice in regard to new varieties. Babylon is one variety which has already tested well in chippies across the UK. We were thrilled to be a co-sponsor of the Field to Frier Award at the 2023 National Fish & Chip Awards and taking some Babylon out for our finalists to trial.”
The NFFF National Fish and Chip Awards is the largest UK-wide event dedicated to raising standards across the industry whilst supporting fish and chip related businesses. For more than 30 years, the awards have celebrated the nation’s favourite dish, while championing the eclectic eateries that hold up this loved
British tradition. To enter please visit www.thefishandchipawards.com. For award categories please see page 26.
If you would like to become one of our chip ambassadors please email austen@ chippychat.co.uk
Barland Shopfitters have successfully completed a wide range of projects within the takeaway- and restaurant industry nationwide and they specialise in the fish & chip shop sector. As we celebrate ten years we have completed approaching 100 fish and chip shop projects across the UK.
There could be many reasons why your shop needs to have a refresh and here at Barland we understand that each shop is different. You may be changing to fresh cut pre prepped chips, so utilising that extra space where your potatoes were stored maybe an option. New technology could add self-service kiosks (they have been known to add 27% more revenue to each order), in restaurant and online ordering systems plus overhead screens for your menus and branding requirements.
To ensure smooth running and minimal disruption throughout each project, Barland maintains close and sustained contact with the client. Safety is a prime consideration in Barland operations – a well organised site with unimpeded allround access is a vital prerequisite to ensure that all projects are completed on time and within budget. We also liaise with all other suppliers including your range manufacturer to make sure everything comes together at
the right time.
Our policy is to utilise high-quality materials and the best available components, installed with great care by craftsmen who pay special attention to detail. Indeed, Barland interiors are characterised by a superb finish that uniquely defines the company’s wellearned reputation for excellence.
We’ll really get to know your business and its requirements in detail too. That way we’re able to deliver stunning finished interiors that tick every one of your design brief boxes, whether your priority is incredible functionality, saving space or wowing diners with comfort and looks. We specialise in fish and chip shop fittings, for more information please check out the fish and chip shop section of our website www.barlandsfuk.com
One recent chip shop to have the Barland magical makeover treatment is Fisharama of Knaresborough.
The shop owner Aytach Sadik said: “Barlands were exceptional for us, everything in the shop is brand new –from the electricity and gas to the fittings. We knocked it back to the bare walls. They helped us with a concept and shop design, and we added our own personal touches to it. I am happy to recommend them to anyone.” Aytach previously ran a fish and chip shop in London before moving to Harrogate 22 years ago so has a thorough knowledge of what it takes to run a good fish and chip shop.
We’d love to hear about your UK fish & chip shop refit/project and talk about how we might help. For an initial no-obligation quote, please call us on 01274 230687 or email info@barlandshopfitters.co.uk
Scotland’s iconic roadside café named as one of the Top 30 ‘Best Places to Work in Hospitality 2023’
Scotland’s iconic roadside cafe, The Real Food Café in Tyndrum has received a top 30 listing in the UK’s most prestigious hospitality employment awards.
‘The Best Places to Work in Hospitality’ awards, run by The Caterer magazine identify and showcase the Top 30 operators who lead the way in people engagement and workplace culture. Companies are recommended by their employees who answer four ‘killer questions’ and share what’s important to them at work and rate well their employer is delivering on that goal. The business received an exceptional score of 92% in response to those questions.
The Real Food Café received a place in the Top 30 for the following reasons:
• Culture – the business maintains an inclusive culture based on trust, honesty and open communication. The business holds regular culture meetings to discuss how things are working and to address issues that have arisen.
• Listening – the business engages its team through periodic anonymous feedback surveys, following up with planned action on the back of the team’s input.
• The Real Food Café has been a Living Wage employer since 2019; they reward well for exceeding expectations. In 2022 the business paid £24,500 in bonuses to 25 staff.
• They offer comprehensive benefits including, but not limited to an EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) and access to a national discounts platform to help their team’s income go further.
• The business is actively engaged in learning and development journeys for
the team, all of whom receive an annual Personal Development Review with a follow up mid-way through the year.
Sarah Heward, Owner of The Real Food Café, said: ‘’The Real Food Café has won some very prestigious awards for our food, customer service and overall business, all of which we are proud of. For almost 20 years, we have been driven not only by our mission to serve customers great food of the highest standard, but our vision of becoming one of the best employer brands in Scotland. We have worked hard to build our reputation by taking care of our team, suppliers and focussing on authenticity; being kind, working hard and building a strong culture of warmth, friendliness and inclusivity.”
“This award is solely focused on our team and the leadership of that team and this win is for my husband Alan McColm who leads the people side of the business and his management team headed up by Charles Mair our Operations Director.”
“I am bursting with pride that our team have validated his strategy and the consistent and sometimes challenging work he has led over the past decade to reach this point. The journey will continue, we are a work in progress but for now, we’ll take this as a win and enjoy the moment.”
www.therealfoodcafe.com
By Austen Dack
This year there was one date in our diaries not to miss The KFE Ball at the Belfry! A chance for us all to get together and watch an adrenaline-packed performance, filled with stunts and acts. With something for all the guests attending this year’s ball it had us all on the edge of our seats. With fantastic food, exciting sideshows and even an elephant guests all went home happy! I bumped into several well know faces including QPR manager Gareth Ainsworth! Thanks, as ever go to Tanya, Avril & Paul, what will they come up with next year!
