Chippy Chat March 2014

The World is your Lobster

Shellfish – Can they give you more profits?

There is a clear message coming through from sausage manufacturers everywhere...

u

ur O o v a S

es

sag u a S r

What makes a chipping potato?

Mark Oughtred (Marketing Manager & Variety Ambassador for Agrico UK Ltd) Talks Taters

WIN! A Quean Clean Starter Kit

Enter the Deeply Clean Quiz

Kat Deuchars of John Dory’s chippy, Belfast, finalist in the Young Fish Frier of the Year Award writes for CC&FF

Chippy Kat

FREE Champagne at KFE Open days Chip Shop survives floods and Prime Minister’s visit

Issue 3 Volume 4 March 2014

David Henley always fries in David Henley has run a successful, award winning fish and chip shop for over 15 years. His secret is simple, to produce great tasting fish and chips every time.

To achieve this, David has built up a store of knowledge as to which are the best ingredients to use and in particular which frying medium will deliver consistent results every time ...and that frying medium is Frymax.

He knows that Frymax is pure white premium palm, made from the highest quality raw materials. And that there is none better at giving long lasting performance, which is so important in the current economic climate.

Frymax has been the fryers favourite for over 50 years and has rightly earned the reputation as the number one cooking oil. It is as good today as it was when launched all those years ago. David Henley recognises its worth and the role Frymax plays in making his fish and chips taste really great.

Member of the National Edible Oil Distributors Association

Frymax - No Ordinary Cooking Oil. For2information, advice, or customer support material please contactChippy Olenex Trading (UK) Limited: Tel: 01322 444836 2 Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014 Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014 e-mail: ukinfo@olenex.com

www.frymax.co.uk

When the Chips are Down!

W

Austen Dack Publishing Editor

elcome to our second edition of the new era. The CC team have been over whelmed by the response from the trade to our new approach to promoting our industry.

We firmly believe that by working together all the way from farmer to frier and all in between, the messages we all need to get across will eventually help us grow the market place.

As the rain hopefully stops and winter turns to spring most of us can reflect on how lucky we have been. Our torrid winter has taken lives, cut off communities and damaged countless businesses across the UK. This month we reflect on the fishermen who have been badly affected and promote the great work the Fishermen’s Mission are doing to help them survive the worst that nature can throw at them. If you can help them please do.

We are based in Cambridgeshire and our own Isle of Ely Produce have been helping out by sending some of their smaller potatoes to flood hit Somerset farmers to provide some much needed feed for their animals.

Thanks to the team at Fry It (Friars Pride) the show held at Peterborough for accommodating the new CC team at the last minute. We had great fun and enjoyed meeting partners and many chip shop & takeaway owners too.

If you would like to get published, join us as a partner, or have a story to tell please contact us.

When the chips are down...

Austen Dack

Oak Lane Littleport Ely Cambridgeshire CB6 1RS

www.chippy-chat.co.uk

Es 30 tabl Ye ishe ar d s

Chippy Chat Ltd

info@chippychat.co.uk Twitter @Chippychat Facebook Chippy-Chat TEL 01353 865 966 FAX 01353 863 444 Managing Director John Boutwood Publisher Oliver Boutwood oliver@chippychat.co.uk Publishing Editor Austen Dack austen@chippychat.co.uk 07863123929 Design/Editorial Stuart Catterson design@chippychat.co.uk

Frying Range Engineers Servicing all makes of ranges, covering East Anglia, East Midlands & London/M25 Annual Range Servicing • Insurance Certificates Duct Steam Cleaning • Repairs • Modifications

•Refurbished / Rebuilds / New •Traditional & Dutch Makes •Extraction Systems & Ductwork •Shopfitting Design & Refurbishment •Fire Damage, Repairs & Upgrades

Accounts/Subscriptions Claire Boutwood-Potter accounts@chippychat.co.uk Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company Annual Subscription £39.00 or £49.00 overseas subscriptions@chippychat.co.uk

For prompt, efficient service please call:

Advertising Sales and Promotions austen@chippychat.co.uk

sales@klsonline.co.uk

For PR and Editorial editorial@chippychat.co.uk

3

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

01553 772935 In association with

Frying Ranges

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

3

A view from the Seaside I Marcus French

4

can see the light at the end of the day, winter is drawing to an end and it won’t be long until Easter is here. Running a Fish and Chip shop at the seaside is different to running a shop in a town.

For one thing half our catchment area is water, this can be good while the sun shines but the winter is long. Staffing is difficult because we need lots of staff in the summer and cannot afford to keep all the good workers through the winter.

The water being so close is lovely to see but this year we got it right to our doors and beyond. We had sand bags and thick plastic across our shop front, and some at the back but it was higher than we expected, about 4 foot at the front door and 3 feet at the back door. We were lucky as the tide went out and we cleared up fairly well, with no major problems. The electric was off for over 48 hours so I got a generator to power my freezers but lost all my fish in the fridges. The floor safe didn’t like the salt water either. I did not claim off my insurance, and I am hoping that they will look on me favourably when my next insurance is due. You do not have to be on the coast to be flooded, as we have all seen on the TV, and the tide does not go out after 2 hours like ours did. So I feel sorry for all those who have been flooded by all the rain and the overflowing rivers.

I try to do something different to the shop each year, this year I have decided to switch to a digital menu system. I have just had a photographer taking pictures of every single product. We cooked the food each time and hope they look good, as we had to throw all of it away

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

after the shoot. I have been told lots of special effects are used by professional photographers like using emulsion instead of custard or painting the food to get a better colour. I hope it all works and the changing images will draw the customer’s attention. I am going to use memory sticks, plugged into the TV’s , they can play a video or jpegs. The idea is, steam coming from the fish and drinks splashing, will tempt customers more.

My most seen tweet was a special for ‘seaweed, sand and mud’ after the floods For chip week this year we joined with our local paper, which printed a voucher in the paper each day, for a free portion of chips, hoping that they will buy other products as well. With potatoes being half the price of last year is a big help.

Going in for awards is a great way to get noticed, we were finalists in ‘The Quality Award Champions Champion’, and ‘From Field To Frier’. Getting free mentions in the media is great for advertising and we got mentions in Women Magazine and Country Living this month. Social media is also a great way to get noticed. My most seen tweet was a special for ‘seaweed, sand and mud’ after the floods. Even our Prime Minister came down for a visit. ( sic ) ‘No such thing as bad publicity’ but it is good to drip feed so customers think of you when passing or in the area. I am sure David Cameron will be back for some seaweed, sand and mud Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

4

Inside

4

6

8

10

12

A View from the Seaside

Why running a Fish and Chip shop at the seaside is “A little bit different”

Pick a Pukka Pie

National campaign encourages families to Pick a Pukka Pie

Diary Dates

All your Where? When? And Who with? Questions answered

Empire Builders

Papa John’s and Nisbets are opening more outlets

Working together

Austen Dack reflects on the benefits of a united Chippy community

14

BDigital

16

Sausage S.O.S

22

24

30

32

5

Make more money - and there’s no need for more customers

There is a clear message coming through from sausage manufacturers everywhere

KFE Open day

Get your questions answered at the KFE Open Day

The Wonder of Shellfish

34

36

38

42

44

46

48

March 2014

Show time at Fry I.T.

Food to eat, and food for thought served up with a large portion of family fun

Chippy Kat

Kat Deuchars of John Dory’s chippy, Belfast, finalist in the Young Fish Frier of the Year Award writes for CC&FF

Chip Week

Burton Road Fish & Chip Takeaway & Restaurant, Lincoln, take the prize in the The Choice Chip Awards

On a Mission

Urgent appeal for funds to help fishermen affected by the storms

The Deeply Clean Quiz

Win a Quean Clean Starter Kit

Chipping Potatoes

Mark Oughtred, on what makes a chipping potato?

Property

Whether your on the move, or building an empire, take the first step on your journey here

Andy Gray, Trade Marketing Manager at Seafish takes a look at the world of shellfish

A breath of fresh air

Lincat introduce innovative range of ductless air recirculation units.

Now that’s a breath of fresh air!

Chippy Kat

Catch-up at Richardson’s

Highlighting an award winner from this year’s National Fish and Chip Awards

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Page 36 Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

5

National campaign encourages families to

Pick a Pukka Pie Pukka Pies has launched its biggest ever brand push with a new marketing campaign for 2014. The proposition encourages families across the country to “Next Time Pick a Pukka Pie” through a TV and outdoor campaign that launched on 3rd February.

C

reated by McCann Birmingham, the TV execution for the UK’s much-loved and No.1 selling pie brand will be aired until 30th March 2014.

The insight behind the 30 second spot, which is aimed predominantly at families, is based on the premise that people are disappointed when faced with an inferior product that fails to meet their expectations.

The advert also highlights the quality of Pukka Pies’ products; in particular, it showcases the importance the brand places on ensuring products contain the highest-quality meat, deliciously light pastry and full fillings.

The campaign for the Leicestershire-

based independent business, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, is also being accompanied by 6-sheet advertising posters, door drops and national press.

Wayne Greensmith, Marketing Manager at Pukka Pies, explains: “We are incredibly excited about the launch of our biggest ever marketing campaign. We believe the campaign will resonate with mums who are under pressure to deliver at meal times and highlight how a Pukka pie delivers satisfaction with its full fillings and finest ingredients. We believe that this campaign will drive sales of Pukka Pies, and in turn, the whole of the hot pie category.”

The activity is being supported with investment in PR and social media, and coincides with the company’s continued investment in product innovation that will see new products being launched through the year.

The campaign will be additionally reinforced by national advertising in consumer lifestyle titles.

Feeding families for over fifty years

P

ukka Pies prides itself on providing good, honest food and upholds its family values. It started life in Leicester in 1963, when husband and father-of-three Trevor Storer quit his job and founded ‘Trevor’s Homemade Pie Company’, to set about making and selling great-tasting pies; they proved to be a massive hit.

In 1964, Trevor renamed the company ‘Pukka Pies’ and the

6

company has been feeding families ever since. To this day, Pukka Pies remains an independent, family-run business passionate about pies, with recipes remaining the same as when the flavours were first created.

Pukka Pies makes over 60 million pies every year, which are created by dedicated and caring people, using the best ingredients sourced from the most trusted suppliers in state of the art facilities.

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Contact

Pukka Pies Ltd The Halfcroft, Syston Leicestershire LE7 1LD Visit: www.pukkapies.co.uk Email: info@pukkapies.co.uk T: 0116 264 4004 Fx: 0116 264 0092

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

6

That’s the campaign line which will soon be seen and heard by millions of customers, thanks to our massive national campaign. Our superior pies will feature in TV commercials, magazine ads and inserts, outdoor posters, social media channels, PR activities and targeted door drops.

TV com mercials

Outd

ters o or p o s

Nationa

l m ag a z

ine adv

ertising

Every Pukka Pie uses the finest ingredients and is made by the most caring staff. We expect your customers will be craving the real taste more than ever. So stock up in time and enjoy some meaty profits.

7

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

7

Diary Dates Business or pleasure, dates not to be missed....

March

May

3-9

British Pie Week Pie lovers everywhere, celebrate the much

loved pie! www.britishpieweek.co.uk

11-13

www.kfeltd.co.uk

Ifex King’s Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland Northern Ireland’s PREMIER showcase of the latest food & drink products, catering equipment, interiors, technology and services to the food, retail and hospitality industries.

www.ifexexhibition.co.uk

16

KFE Open Day Bentley Business Park, Northfield Industrial Estate, Market Deeping, Peterborough PE6 8LD www.kfeltd.co.uk

18-19

Northern Restaurant & Bar 2014

Manchester Central.

A vibrant and essential

networking and business opportunity for every chef, hotelier and hospitality proprietor in the sector

www.northernrestaurantandbar.co.uk

April

28

Hotelympia London ExCeL

The Heartbeat of

Foodservice & Hospitality www.hotelympia.com

8

18

KFE Dinner Dance Marriott Forest of Arden Hotel & Country Club

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

June

19

National Vegetarian Week

www.nationalvegetarianweek.org

8

World Oceans Day Together we have the

power to protect the oceans www. worldoceansday.org

18

KFE Open Day Bentley Business Park, Northfield Industrial Estate, Market Deeping, Peterborough PE6 8LD www.kfeltd.co.uk

20

Fish Friday

www.fishermensmission.org.uk/

20

Seafarers Awareness Week www.seafarersawarenessweek.org

Keep up to date with trade events visit www.chippychat.co.uk and clicking on events.

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

8

9

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

9

Nisbets celebrates third London store opening Nisbets, the UK’s leading catering equipment supplier, is delighted to announce the opening of its third London store in Fulham Road.

H

aving opened in Shaftesbury Avenue in 2009, followed by Commercial Street in 2013, Fulham is a welcome addition to Nisbets retail portfolio, which now totals six stores across the UK. Opening at 9.30am on Friday the 7th of March, the store at no 538 Fulham Road is ideally located less than a minute from Fulham Broadway; making it easily accessible to local caterers who want equipment immediately.

The store is packed with over 3,000 catering products from respected brands such as Waring, KitchenAid, ChefWorks, Dynamic, Santos and Samsung, as well as own brands including Buffalo, Polar, Athena and Olympia.

Guaranteed to become one of London’s go-to kitchen equipment shops for professional chefs, the Fulham Road store will offer a ‘Call, Pay & Collect Service’, meaning customers can order over the phone, and then collect in store, usually within one hour.

Nisbets Head of Retail, Steve Collins commented on the new opening: “Feedback from our customers indicates that they like to have the opportunity to see and feel the products, which is why having a retail presence close to a vibrant food service area in London is key to continuing our excellent levels of service.’’

Nisbets launched as a catalogue only business in 1983, but has grown with the times and customer demand to develop an online presence as well as opening stores in London, Bristol, Birmingham and Leeds.

Quality Menu Designs 500 £99

1,000 2,500 5,000 £129 £169 £225

Please Call For FREE Quotation

More information

01443 222219

Store opening hours: Monday – Saturday 9.30am – 5.30pm, Sundays - Closed To discover more about Nisbets and the new Fulham Road store visit www.nisbets.co.uk/stores

www.dandisplay.co.uk

@ info@dandisplay.co.uk 10

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Harlequin House, Coed Cae Lane, Pontyclun, South Wales, CF72 9EW

Cert No: GB5 360

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Category A

10

Papa John’s is ‘on target’ to open 50 new UK stores this year

1

More information For further information please visit: www.papajohns.co.uk/franchise

11

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

From

>

>

£750* >

7 February 2014: Leading Pizza franchise, Papa John’s, has announced its ‘on target’ to open 50 more UK stores before the end of this year.

West Ealing, Bishop’s Stortford and Cheltenham were opened in January followed by Durham, Warrington and Stafford.

“The whole Papa John’s team is focused on UK growth for 2014,” confirms Anthony Round, business development manager, Papa John’s. “As a result, we are looking for enthusiastic franchisees who are excited about running their own franchise and passionate about the Papa John’s concept of ‘better ingredients, better pizza’. We have some fantastic incentive deals currently on offer to support franchisees and get new outlets open and off to a great start and these are proving particularly popular! Already six new stores have been opened this year and there are many more in the pipeline – so watch this space!

“Our in-house team helps new franchisees secure good locations and manage the fit-out process,” continues Round. “At the same time, franchisees and their staff undergo thorough training, while our marketing department helps to ensure a successful launch.

“For new stores opening in Wales, The Midlands, North East, The North West and Scotland, we are currently offering a 12 month royalty break if opened by July 2014 or a nine month royalty break for stores opening before the end of 2014,” confirms Round. “We are also supplying free oven and refrigeration equipment, plus an additional £10k of marketing spend for the store opening launch. The whole package could result in savings of 50k for your first Papa John’s store! These fantastic deals are only available for 2014 and are limited, so first come first served!”

Papa John’s is one of the largest pizza companies in the world, with more than 4,300 stores worldwide and is rapidly expanding in 34 markets around the globe. Papa John’s, which is renowned for its product quality, has opportunities for potential franchisees throughout the UK.

SCHEDULING

INSTANT UPDATE

VIDEO & ANIMATION

Digital Menus autoupdate all Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Adjust menu items based on stock availability and competitor pricing.

Entice your customers with videos of your popular meal.

* Terms & Conditions Apply,

Please Call For FREE Quotation

01443 222219 www.dandisplay.co.uk

@ info@dandisplay.co.uk

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Harlequin House, Coed Cae Lane, Pontyclun, South Wales, CF72 9EW

11 Cert No: GB5 360

Category A

Working Together

Keep on Doin’ What you’re Doin’ Burton Road Chippy Triumphs Again Austen Dack

W

ell it’s been a busy month once again for us all here at Chippy Chat HQ. With events galore and a gratefully received good reaction to our first issue, time has flown by and before we knew it our second issue is born.

As winter turns to spring and the nation comes out of hibernation it is time for us to all join together and promote our wares. The year planned properly presents some great opportunities for you to sell more food.

Chip week (see below) is run to help us sell more chips in a slower month but there are many other food events you can hang your hats on to help create both extra sales and PR. Although mainly national events many have local slants and give you great opportunities to interest your local newspaper and/or radio station too with your activity.

Most are free to join and you may well get some help from your supplier(s) too. There are many more, but here are a few to get you going.

March

British Pie Week (current)

April

Bread Week includes flat

breads such as pitta

April

UK Coffee Week

Allergy Awareness Week:

April (gluten free frying)

May

Sandwich week (chip/sausage)

September National Seafood Fortnight

(TBC)

September British Food Fortnight November

British Sausage Week

Obviously away from food week celebrations we also have other major events such as the Tour de France coming our way and of course some evening kick off games for the World Cup in Brazil which could give opportunities.

I’m pleased to say that National Chip 12

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Week has been hailed a success. The Potato Council have tweaked the competition and added new twists to end up with both more chip shops taking place and even more PR for fish and chips.

The shop which excelled and won Best Chippy Chips 2014 was once again our friends at Burton Road chippy in Lincoln.

The team headed by Des and Lesley (pictured at the National Fish and Chip Awards with me) really worked hard to gain this result running many promotions in the shop plus appealing to their customers via social network too. They even chained up a member of staff dressed as a shark to a fence for the day!

If you are new to the business or would like some great free help on how to market your takeaway then join them on facebook and/ or twitter (@Burton Road Chippy) for some great free advice!

(I’m not betting against them going for the hat trick in 2015!)

Contact/Info T: 01664 869409.

Potato Council A&HDB, Stoneleigh Park Kennelworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2TL Visit: www. potato.org.uk Visit: chips.lovepotatoes.co.uk Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

12

SRA Awards Top Markies for Calum

F

ish and chips took centre stage on the menu at this year’s Sustainable Restaurant Awards and yet another example of working together to promote fish and chips shone through.

Calum Richardson, owner of The Bay Fish & Chips in Stonehaven, Scotland, was tasked with serving 170 portions from the kitchen of Roast in London’s Borough Market where the event was held on the 17th February.

The prestigious awards celebrated the most sustainable pubs, restaurants and hotels in the business, and were presented by the organisation’s President Raymond Blanc OBE. With his takeaway holding a three star SRA rating as well as the 2013 Scottish Sustainable Restaurant of the Year Award, Calum described it as a real honour to cook at the awards.

“It’s was biggest thing I’ve been asked to do on a personal level because of the immense amount of talent that I cooked for.

The level of people at these type of awards is amazing and, of course, it’s great to get fish and chips nestled in there, something I’ve always tried to do.”

Fresh MSC Scottish haddock from The Budding Rose was couriered to the restaurant especially for the occasion. The chipping potato of Calum’s choice selected with the help of Isle of Ely Produce was six bags of Gilbert’s Markies finest chipping potatoes which Jenny Adams personally couried to The Golden Union in Soho to be chipped on the morning of the awards.

Calum also called in friends and colleagues Fred Capel of Chez Fred in Bournemouth and Stelios Theocharous from The Batter Company to help cook on the day.

Commenting on the awards, Calum says: “It’s no more different to frying in the shop – we can easily do 170 and still get every detail correct –although the pressure of the occasion was be much, much more.”

13

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

To cap off a great day Calum also won his third Sustainable Restaurant Association Award in a row.

The Bay Fish & Chips in Stonehaven scooped the Award for Environment.

The Environment Award is given to the restaurant that has shown the most commitment to sustainability, particularly with regards to environmental aspects. This includes actions and initiatives like water saving, workplace resources and waste management.

The shop uses environmentally friendly cleaning products that are 100% chemical free and all packaging is fully compostable.

The shop uses 100 per cent renewable electricity and all waste oil is collected and recycled into bio diesel.

Calum outside The Bay

Contact www.thesra.org Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

13

BD Signs Industry challenge Make more money - and there’s no need for more customers

B

D Signs had one of the busiest stands at the FryI.T. Show in Peterborough (23 Feb 2014) which was hardly surprising, it had a dazzling array of electronic signs, impressive photos of much bigger projects, and at the heart of it, the infectious buzz radiating from a man who is so proud and passionate about the work his company does.

Barry Dickman is a man on a mission, always has been, always will be, and luckily, if you’re in the chippy trade, he’s on your side. To quote Barry on his website “Our goal is to make Fish & Chips and all its sundries as strong a brand as any of the McDonald’s, Subway’s, or KFC’s out there.

We caught up with Barry shortly after the show, he had a message to for us to pass on about BDigital...

“Hi my name is Barry Dickman I am the director and owner of BDigital which is a digital advertisement platform for all industries. My Company BD Signs has been selling point of sale and marketing products for the fast food industry for over 25 years. We have built up a massive client base and image library and this is

the foundation of our latest innovation Bdigital. The product allows you to promote your goods like any normal menu system and a WHOLE LOT MORE. With moving parts, live videos feeds, promotional videos from large corporate companies like coca cola, Pukka Pies, Lavenza Coffees you can now sell like any TV advert, the system comes with 2500 photos and videos, full access to our database and unlimited templates. It is fitted fully working and can run schedules of different visuals at any specific times of day. We are in partnership with Phillips and the monitors supplied have the best guarantee in the market for the fish & chip industry and fast food. Once again unbeatable.

This is not just a sensational visual system it is guaranteed to up sell and make profit to the same customers coming through the door, in other words you make more money without needing more customers, as up selling is what it does. There are no products on the markets at the same price with the as many facilities. “

What the Customer Says A business has a new BDigital system fitted by BD Signs it with a single unit on a side wall near the window and a five screen system above the counter/range area.

We asked Andrew Pericleous of Mr Chippy, York...

Q Has the BDigital system increased sales in your outlet?

A Yes 20% across the board Q Can you tell us in what areas it has made a impact?

A It’s allowed us to promote individual lines of food or meal deals with a stronger impact due to moving images and videos of food. We’ve been able to pick certain line items such as onion rings and up sell these to a lot of customers who would not normally have brought this

14

product, and we make 90p profit per purchase where we would not normally get this money at all.

With the help of BD Signs we created an ‘add it for 99p’ section to entice customer to spend more money with us while being in the shop.

Q Has the digital menu system had a visual impact?

A Yes all our customers and other business have said that it makes the shop look very professional, modern and up there with any large competitors.

Q What do you think to the facility of photos and videos supplied by BD Signs?

A We have access to 2500 photos and videos day or night and can do what we want with them so there is nothing better

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Q Is there anything else you would say is a benefit of using BDigital?

A Yes the support package, we have been able to contact BD Signs at any time during the day and they have been able to remote access into our system to show us what to do.

Q In one sentence can you sum up how you feel about of the BDigital system?

I am extremely pleased, they are very professional, up there with the big boys.

Contact BD Signs & Print Visit: www.bdsignsnottingham.co.uk Tel: 0800 195 3612 Fax: 08450 099 591

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

14

“From Concept, to completion, we’re with you

All the way”

BDSigns

Full shop refurbishment

Logo designing

Internal Branding

Built up signage

Menu systems

Window decals

BDi ital B

External light box signage

Display Systems

MENU SYSTEMS

LEAFLETS & POSTERS

LARGE FORMAT PRINTING

moving menu display access 2500 images you have full control

no hidden costs we will beat any like for like quote

guaranteed

ALL TYPES OF SIGNAGE

BRANDING

0800 1953612 www.bdsignsnottingham.co.uk 15 Unit 15 Chippy ChatBailey & Fast FoodBrook Magazine • March 2014 Chippy Chat & Fast FoodNottingham, Magazine • March 2014 NG16 18, Industrial Estate, Langley Mill, 4BE info@bdsignsnottingham.co.uk Find us on Facebook

There is a clear message coming through from sausage manufacturers everywhere...

ur

rO u o v Sa

s

age s u a S

We recommend you spring in to action, and get sizzling!

Blakemans respond to the requests of discerning customers with the “Supreme” Brand

T

oday with consumers seeking higher quality and value for money in their choice of sausage, to keep pace with this change in demands of catering and retail customers, Blakeman’s have not only developed unbeatable products but have made a substantial investment in order to maintain and to grow their market share.

With an extensive range from cocktail to meatballs including the flagship Jumbo 4’s and ever popular Pork 8’s, many of the famous “Supreme Sausage” brand products have been manufactured and supplied to the retail and catering trade for over 60 years.

16

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Within a state of the art production facility one of the finest in Europe new technology enables Blakeman’s to monitor the whole operation and to ensure a swift response to all customer enquiries, whatever the size or type of order all are treated with the same care and attention.

The quality comes with the Blakeman guarantee that only the finest cuts of belly and shoulder pork are used in the manufacture of the “Supreme” Brand and with this criteria Blakeman’s they can offer their customers a quality product at a very competitive price.

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

16

“Would one like to taste”

The Supreme Sausage 17

James T. Blakeman & Co. Ltd. Newcastle-u-Lyme, Staffs. ST5 7UF

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Tel: 01782 569610 Fax: 01782 569611 e-mail: admin@blakemans.co.uk

www.blakemans.co.uk

17

ur Savo

ages

aus Our S

Your customer wants value for money, that does not mean they want cheap product

W

McWhinney’s say

e’re very proud to be suppliers to some of the finest chip shops the length and breadth of the UK. As every year passes more and more chip shops are converting to our high quality Irish Pork Sausages. Millions of our Sausages every month are enjoyed through thousands of outlets and the one thing all these outlets have in common is that they understand their customers. Lets for one minute pretend that you are your own customer and you are

standing at the other side of your counter.

Ask yourself, ‘would I specially come here for my sausage supper?. If you think that there’s room for improvement please visit our Take our Challenge page and who knows, you may become a convert today. Your customer wants value for money, that does not mean they want cheap product as proved in our independent survey, they are willing to pay a slightly higher price for quality which makes them come back again and again.

Whatever the reason - Diet, Health, Religion, Veggie, if someone eats meat free sausages they’re probably a fan of quorn

I

f you’ve seen the adverts on TV lately you’ll most likely have seen Mo Farah trotting to his kitchen for a Quorn fix after an epic run. Mo is not a veggie, but like a lot of gym bunnies and dieters he knows that Quorn is full of protein, high in fibre and low fat. For these reason as much as it being veggie Quorn is a huge seller in the supermarkets and could hook you a whole lot of extra business that is currently walking on by. That’s food for thought.

There’s a vast range of Quorn products these days you can check them out at - www.quorn.co.uk

18

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

18

19

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

19

ur Savo

ages

aus Our S

Westaways - “From Traditional Breakfast Sausages to authentic Punjabi recipes we have won many awards” Westaways say

W

estaway sausages are different from standard chip shop sausages which are made to withstand cooking in hot fat (say 200 degrees) from frozen. For some this is possible because the meat and other ingredients in these chip shop sausages are typically bowl chopped into a paste resulting in a close textured recipe.

Charles Baughan, Managing Director of Westaways explains. “We make sausages in the same manner a butcher would use in a high street shop, we mince selected cuts of British Pork using a 4mm plate and then mix in the breadcrumbs and seasoning giving a more open texture. We fill these mixes into natural casings and make up to 250,000 pork sausages a day across an average of 10 or so different recipes. The result is a juicy and succulent (but not fatty) sausage. It is these juices that can cause problems when cooking our sausages from frozen in deep fat, the frozen juices will go direct to steam when the sausages are placed in the fat, resulting in bursts or splits.

There are ways to prevent this happening and avoiding cooking in deep fat is the obvious solution. If Westaway Sausages are oven cooked then as they are comparatively low in fat they will hold and not lose their shape or appearance very well in a hot display cabinet. However a tip is to baste the sausages with a little oil before cooking to prevent the skins drying out and becoming tough.

Other methods include lowering the temperature of the cooking oil, defrosting the sausages prior to cooking, or “blanching” the sausages in the hot oil before cooking.”

We produce some 25 miles of sausages, chipolatas, and puddings every week.

We genuinely love sausages and we are particularly proud of our New Product Development. From Traditional Breakfast Sausages to authentic Punjabi recipes we have won many awards. We were 2012 UK Meat Trades Small Processor of the Year, and last year were awarded UK Export Sausage of 2013.

We continue to invest heavily in new technology, machinery and training. We are genuinely innovative and will strive to add more value to our products every year. We are BRC A grade Accredited.

Westaways sausages are available from Makro Nationwide

Four Light Vegetable Flavours Wicken Fen has made vegetarian sausages since 1992. There are four delicious flavours, Spinach Leek and Cheese, Mushroom and Tarragon, Tomato and Garlic and Carrot and Coriander which is gluten free. They are really tasty and have a light vegetable texture.

The sausages can be cooked in the oven, under the grill or in a deep fryer. They are 48g in weight and come frozen in 3 kg boxes either direct from Weeks Foods (07703401418), or from their London and the South East distributor Vegetarian Express (01923249714) 20

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

20

BATTER

THAN

THE

REST

Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award 2nd Frankies Fish & Chips - Shetland John Dorys Fish & Chips - Belfast (Northern Ireland) Richardson’s Fish & Chips - Fleetwood (North West Region) Best Newcomer Award Runner Up - Scallop Shell, Frome From Field to Frier Award Finalist - French’s Fish & Chips, Wells Next The Sea Finalist - Burton Road Chippy, Lincoln Good Catch Award Winner - Richardson’s Fish & Chips, Fleetwood Finalist - Frankie’s Fish & Chips, Shetland Young Fish Frier of the Year Award Runner Up - Cem Oktem, The Packet Bridge Chippy, Carnforth NFFF Fish & Chip Quality Award ‘Champion’ Award Runner Up - French’s Fish & Chips, Wells Next The Sea Seafarers UK ‘Fish & Chip Feast’ Fundraiser Champion Winner - Burton Road Chippy, Lincoln

atter?

W

our b o t h c t i w hy s

s ingredient l a r u t a n Complete oney m r fo e lu a V rogramme p y lt a y lo Great 3711 522 5 4 8 0 ll a any.co.uk ample: C s p E m E o R c F r e a t t a Request visit theb s il a t e d r more o21r foChippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014 Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

21

Knowledge is a wonderful thing Get your questions answered at the KFE Open Day on 16 March

O

n 16th March KFE are holding an open day at their state of the art facility in Market Deeping near Peterborough. The day is run like a little exhibition, pulling together all the key aspects of the trade, from batter to finance. You can expect to see an incredible array of state of the art equipment operated by the very elite of the chippy world. Visitors will be greeted with a glass of champagne, meet the sales team and the training team then top award winning trainer, Nigel Hodgson, supported by a representative from Kerry Foods, will take people into the kitchen to look at fish cake preparation. This is not just your plain old fish and potato mash-up, Nigel says he “Wants

“The KFE Open Day has a friendly atmosphere, it has a ‘kind of kick your shoes off, put your slippers on and relax’ feel. I do get asked an awful lot of questions about frying fish and chips, but then I can talk about that all day. I believe sometimes I have!

Anyway, I really enjoy the day and I’m Gordon Hillan

sure the visitors get a lot out of it”

“The people that come to the open

to get people thinking outside the box” so it will be a little different, and he added there will be a “seasonal surprise” in store. Moving on, visitors take a look at potato products, supported by Drywite. Then they get to feel “at home on the range” with Gordon Hillan, another top award winning trainer frying fish chips and the fish cakes so that people can sample them. There will be an opportunity to explore the KFE filtration systems, heat exchanges and pans etc. In a normal showroom, on any other day, you can see nice shiny equipment, the difference here is that visitors get to see it all in action.

Many of the people who come will be new to the industry and see this as an opportunity to find out more about products, delivery days and prices, all areas that are covered by the experts on hand, and there may well be special offers on the day from suppliers.

Portman Finance leasing company will be there to discuss finance options.

Some people come to see the equipment and others to see the training school. All have their questions are answered.

16th March is the first open day, three more are planned for later in the year for which KFE will be lining up special guests, hopefully Fred Caple and Richard Ord and we may get Jean Christophe Novelli.

Contact

days are keen and soak up new

KFE Ltd, Units A & B Bentley Business Park, Northfields Industrial Estate, Market Deeping, Peterborough. PE6 8LD

ideas, They make it a rewarding interesting day for us and I’m sure it is for them too.

Email: sales@kfeltd.co.uk Visit: www.kfeltd.co.uk T: 01778 380 448 Fx: 01778 348 558

This month I want to get people thinking outside the box and they can expect a seasonal surprise.”

Nigel Hodgson

22

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

22

Get clicky with Klucky and Meadow Vale Foods Meadow Vale’s on pack promotion launches on new product

C

aterers have the chance to win £500 in a new on pack promotion launched by frozen poultry supplier Meadow Vale Foods.

Get clicky with Klucky sees the return of Klucky the Chicken and his Prize Barn, who was last seen giving away televisions to caterers in 2012. Klucky’s back and his Prize Barn is busting with more giveaways and rewards than ever!

As well as the jackpot £500 cash prize draw, which is made every three months, the Get Clicky with Klucky promotion also offers caterers a variety of rewards to claim in exchange for ‘Klucky Points’, including free music downloads.

Caterers can collect points by redeeming unique codes from special promotional packs of Meadow Vale’s frozen chicken and banking them online in Klucky’s Prize Barn. Codes then become points that can be spent however the caterer chooses, including entries to the cash prize draw.

“Caterers can enter our competitions as many times as they like to increase their chances of winning.

They just need to keep collecting codes from their bags of Meadow Vale chicken.” said Lianne Dodd, Meadow Vale’s Marketing Executive. “Instant rewards are also available and caterers should keep checking the website as these will be changing throughout the promotion period.”

The launch of the promotion is exclusive to packs of Meadow Vale’s newly launched Pickin’ Chicken product, with other popular favourites following in the coming months. The first prize draw takes place on 1st April where a case of Meadow Vale product is up for grabs.

Contact

For more information on the promotion, visit Klucky in his prize barn at www.meadowvalefoods.co.uk Ask your wholesaler or cash and carry, or to find your nearest stockist contact Meadow Vale directly on 0845 00 30 300.

23

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

23

The Wonder of Andy Gray, Trade Marketing

Shellfish T

here is a long European history of collecting and enjoying shellfish, in fact far more so in the past than today.

Oysters, for example, were an everyday food until the early 20th century, widely enjoyed by people in all walks of society until supply problems and growing pollution saw them fall rapidly out of favour. Today though, a huge variety of great quality shellfish are readily available, be they delicious crustacea such as crab, lobster and langoustine; bivalves such as mussels, oysters and scallops, or gastropods (members of the

24

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Manager at Seafish takes a look at the world of shellfish snail family, with one shell) such as whelks.

Whether farmed or harvested from the wild, shellfish are a worthy addition to any menu and almost universally popular with diners.

And while shellfish haven’t necessarily been a traditional feature on menus of most fish and chip businesses, there are great additional selling opportunities to be had from offering your customers something a little bit different, especially if you operate a fish and chip/seafood restaurant but shellfish can also be adaptable for listing on takeaway menus. Offering your customers a Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

24

few additional shellfish species on your menu could just entice them to make more regular visits to your restaurant or shop.

Let’s take a look at a few of the more commonly available species:

Langoustine Also known as Dublin Bay prawns, Nephrops and Norwegian lobster, langoustine (Nephrops norvegicus) look like large prawns but are actually part of the lobster family and can grow up to 250g in weight.

Whilst traditionally the tails have been used to make breaded scampi, there are more delicious uses for this superb species. They are fantastic roasted in the oven and served whole with lemon and mayonnaise or split in half, coated in butter and herbs and grilled.

The tail meat has a sweet taste and a prawnlike texture.

Mussels The UK’s native mussel (Mytilus edulis) is widely cultivated on ropes suspended in the water and that don’t touch the seabed, ensuring they don’t pick up grit and barnacles.

Their bluish-black shells are thinner than wild mussels and the meat content higher since these mussels are not exposed at low tides and so can feed constantly. The myth about only eating mussels ‘when there is an ‘R’ in the month’ is incorrect – although mussels spawn in spring and are not at their best at this time since the meat content is lower, there is no risk to eating mussels at this time. Rope grown mussels are available year round although not at their best in the summer months. Dredged mussels can be much cheaper to buy, but often need more cleaning to remove the sand and grit that often comes with them. Dredging is usually carried out from August through to May. 25

Continued , Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Frankies Mussel in for extra Dosh

B

ritain’s most northerly fish and chip cafe and takeaway Frankies ( No1 in Scotland and No2 in the UK) is located in the village of Brae on the shores of Busta Voe in the picturesque Shetland Isles serves shellfish.

John Gold manager of Frankies said “Shellfish have been on our menus here in the Shetlands for a few years now. It helps we can source them locally everyday of course but the likes of mussels scallops and even langoustines can account for up to 10% of our turnover, giving us valuable additional revenue streams” he added.

The mussels and king scallops sold by Frankie’s are supplied by MSC-accredited Blueshell Mussels, which is based just along the road from them in Brae, although the firm has almost 50 farm sites dotted throughout the islands. Blueshell employs 50 people on the growing, harvesting and processing sides of the business, making it the largest shellfish company in the UK.

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

25

Continued ,

Colman’s Freshness is the Quay!

Colmans Fish and Chip Restaurant in South Shields ran

by Richard Ord is something of a local institution, but in recent years they have been elevated to the status of national treasure.

Sustainability and local produce often go hand in hand as an ethos behind a business, and Colmans is no different. Whilst many coastal restaurants are fighting for the right to buy fish straight directly from the boats which dock in the region’s harbours, it is a privilege Colmans have enjoyed for more than 80 years. ‘It’d be foolish not to wouldn’t it?’ Richard points out. ‘We’re in a part of the world where there is an abundance of fantastic local produce, so it would be madness to go elsewhere unless absolutely necessary.

Steadily over the last few years the team at Colmans have introduced more fresh fish options, and it can he says account for around 10% of their trade in the restaurant.

Only wild fish from local day boats in North Shields and Sunderland is used, with Richard selecting the fish at market himself.

He says: “I handpick it every morning and if they haven’t got it, we don’t sell it, it’s as simple as that.

Our customers know that the fish we buy is the best available that day.”

This means that the daily-changing seasonal menu can include gurnard, turbot and even lobster, alongside line-caught cod and haddock from well-managed, sustainable Icelandic waters. “Sourcing like this is the way forward for our industry,” says Richard. “We are very passionate about it.”

26

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Mussels are great value shellfish that make a fine starter, lunch or main course. To serve, ensure they are clean and free of barnacles; remove any ‘beard’ (also known as the ‘byssus thread’ - this is how the mussel was attached to the rope or rock it grew upon) and simply steam in the serving sauce or over a bed of seaweed. Discard any mussels which do not open. Classic recipes such as moules marinières and moules Provençale are rightly popular - and paella wouldn’t be the same without them! Frozen mussels are of good quality and include the New Zealand greenlip mussels (Perna canaliculus) which possesses a sweeter taste and is a little more chewy. Greenlip mussels are usually much bigger than UK native mussels making them great for topping with other ingredients and grilling. Moules frites is a popular dish of mussels with fries, originating in Belgium but also widely eaten throughout France – perhaps there is scope to offer your customers the joys of mussels with more traditional chipped potatoes. Feeling hungry yet?

Scallops These attractive fan-shaped shells contain a firm, translucent off-white meat wrapped with a bright orange roe (also known as ‘coral’) which is also edible but with a different taste and texture. When preparing from the shell, the membrane, grey-brown frill and black thread of intestine are all discarded. King scallops (Pecten maximus) are generally around 15cm in diameter, with two joined shells (one rounded, one flat) – there will be 18-35 pieces of scallop meat per kg. The smaller Queen scallops (Aequipecten opercularis) have shells approximately 7cm wide (both joined shells are rounded) with approximately 20-40 pieces of meat per kg. Both species are available either in the shell or as shelled meat – with or without the roe. While many scallops are caught using dredging methods, there is also a strong UK market for premium quality diver-caught scallops. A superb starter in or out of the Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

26

27

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

27

The Wonder of

Shellfish shell, scallop meat has a sweet, delicate flavour, and requires minimal cooking – the simpler the better; steamed, pan-fried or grilled. If your takeaway or restaurant has the facilities to pan-fry or grill, listing scallops on your menu could provide great opportunities for additional sales, with customers buying a small starter of grilled or pan-fried scallops to enjoy before their main serving of fish and chips.

Oysters There are three main oyster varieties available in the UK: native, Pacific (or rock) oysters and Portuguese oysters (Crassostrea angulate).

The native oyster (Ostrea edulis) is available from September to April and considered the best, but takes twice as long to grow as other varieties and is usually more expensive to buy. Faster growing Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) are available year round.

All oysters should feel heavy for their size and be kept with the round ‘cupped’ part of the shell facing downwards to retain moisture.

Despite their modern image as a luxury food, oysters used to be a cheap ‘working class’ dish, traditionally used in British beef and oyster pie. Now commonly served raw with lemon and pepper, athough stronger salsa style toppings are also used. Oysters can also be steamed open like mussels, topped then grilled or baked. Or the meat can be removed, coated in tempura batter and deep-fried – perhaps a new ‘special’ for your menu; tempura battered oysters served with chips and a dash of Tabasco sauce!

Brown Crab The brown edible crab (Cancer pagurus) is native to the UK. Cock crabs (males) contain more white meat than the female hens, and 28

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

are generally preferred by chefs. Cocks can be identified by their larger claws, and with a narrower and more pointed tail flap. They range in size from 1 to 2kg, with a meat yield of around 35%, and more white meat than brown. Other crab species which you may be able to find for sale/supply include Alaskan king crab, spider crab, velvet crab and snow crab. Also sometimes available is the imported blue swimming crab. Before cooking live crabs, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) recommend you first place them in a freezer for two hours, which renders them unconscious. Prior to cooking, insert a pointed rod (such as a kebab skewer) just above the mouth and push to the back of the shell. You can then plunge them into heavily salted (40g per litre) boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes for 500g, adding 2 minutes per additional 100g. Then remove and allow to cool. Alternatively the claws and body meat can be removed and steamed or stir-fried. While crab is definitely more of a restaurant menu item than a takeaway item, it is nevertheless a menu item that could offer you some great additional sales opportunities.

Clams There are a number of varieties of clam available in the UK; all are round and stone-like in appearance except the razor clam (Ensis arcuatus), so called because it resembles a cutthroat razor in shape. Amande (dog cockles), venus and razor clams are the most common varieties, although palourdes clams (pronounced ‘pal-ourd’ and also known as Manila clams) are often considered the finest clams and command a much higher price.

Once washed and scrubbed, clams are often used in classic dishes such as Linguine alle Vongole and New England Clam Chowder.

Clams can also be served raw like oysters. A warming and filling clam chowder could be a great addition to your menu board – served in bowls if you have a sit-in restaurant facility, or served to takeaway customers in insulated polystyrene cups along with a bread roll.

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

28

Lobster You can’t beat the wow factor when serving a whole cooked lobster to the table – often regarded as the king of shellfish! There are several species – native lobsters from the UK (Homarus gammarus) are often considered the best, but are usually all sold locally where they are landed, or exported. North American lobsters (Homarus americanus) are caught off the east coast of Canada and down as far as the Maine coastline, providing a readily available year round alternative.

There is much debate as to the most humane method of cooking live lobsters. The RSPCA recommends that they be first placed in the freezer for two hours, rendering the lobster 29

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

unconscious. Then before boiling, drive a sharp pointed knife through the cross found on the head - death is instantaneous. This method both prevents suffering and means the meat stays tender. The lobster should then be plunged into heavily salted (40g per litre) boiling water and simmered for 15 minutes per 500g live weight, adding 2 minutes per additional 100g. Alternatively the lobster can be halved and grilled, or remove the claws and body meat and steam or stir-fry.

Having gained a brief insight to some of the fantastic shellfish readily available in the UK, why not endeavour to provide your customers with a wider choice of seafood and generate some additional sales.

Infomation For more information about the wider world of seafood visit www.seafish.org Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

29

Now that’s a breath of fresh air Lincat introduce innovative range of ductless air recirculation units

L

incat, the UK’s leading manufacturer of commercial catering equipment, has launched Refresh, a unique new range of ductless air recirculation units.

Developed in conjunction with sister company Britannia Kitchen Ventilation, these self-contained, free standing kitchen air recirculation units are designed to be used where ducting to the outside is impractical.

They work by extracting the cooking fumes from directly above the equipment, filtering that contaminated air through an advanced four-stage filtration process before recirculating clean air back into the kitchen. They are ideal therefore where venting to the atmosphere is impossible, difficult or costly. Refresh units are designed to be used with electric rather than gas equipment since these must, on every occasion, be vented to the outside with safety interlocks.

“There are many occasions where venting to the outside is either difficult or impossible,” said Rachel Smith, Marketing Manager of Lincat.

“Take concession areas within airports or train stations for example,

30

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

or listed buildings in conservation areas.

Our new Refresh units are designed to enable you to operate where you might not have been able to before, or to expand your existing output, with a minimum of disruption or additional investment.”

Of robust, stainless steel construction, each Refresh unit is supplied with a comprehensive two year onsite parts and labour warranty.

There are three Refresh units in the range – the Refresh Mini, Midi and Maxi.

They can accommodate either single or multiple items of equipment up to 500mm, 1000mm and 1500mm wide respectively.

The Refresh units also benefit from a variable speed controller. This allows the fan to operate at the most appropriate level to deal with the cooking fumes, while maximizing the lifespan of the fan and filters. Easy to install and of robust, stainless steel construction, each Refresh unit is supplied with a comprehensive two year onsite parts and labour warranty.

Lincat Ltd manufactures one of the world’s most comprehensive ranges of catering equipment. Products are sold in the UK and in over 50 countries worldwide through a comprehensive network of distributors. Britannia Kitchen Ventilation is the UK’s market leading supplier of commercial and institutional kitchen hoods. Both are member companies of the Middleby Corporation.

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

30

We don’t make ranges for everyone…

…we only make them for you Preston & Thomas have been manufacturing high-quality custom-made fish and chip frying equipment for over 100 years and although the company is now under new ownership, Preston & Thomas will continue to provide the same high standards that you have come to expect.

Every frying range we produce is unique – expertly designed and crafted to each of our customer’s specific requirements, to suit their location, premises and budget.

We are also constantly updating and innovating so that our products offer the very latest in range design and technology. Our tailor-made Counter, Island, Wall and Canteen ranges are hand-built using the highest quality materials.

Combined with your choice of finishes and our high efficiency XHE Burner System, Preston & Thomas can offer a proven, reliable, quality product with a nationwide Sales, Installation and After Sales Service that is second to none.

Preston & Thomas For more information please call 01372 727424 / 07958 140954 www.prestonandthomas.co.uk • prestonandthomas@hotmail.co.uk 31

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

The UK’s leading quality range supplier 31 Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Each month we will be highlighting an award winner from this year’s National Fish and Chip Awards organised by Seafish. This month it is the turn of the Good Catch Award

A Great Catch Indeed The finalists for the Good Catch Award were Frankie’s Fish and Chips in Brae, Shetland Kingfisher Fish & Chips in Plymouth, Devon Richardsons Fish Bar in Fleetwood, Lancashire; Rockfish in Dartmouth, Devon After several rounds of discussions by the judges, including a mystery customer visit, the award was presented to:

Richardson’s Fish Bar Fleetwood

W

Sponsored

by Collins Seafoods Limited, the Marine Conservation Society and the Marine Stewardship Council

32

inner Chris Richardson was absolutely delighted with the result. “All the hard work and improvements we’ve made have been worthwhile and I hope it encourages more shops to get involved in the future”.

MCS Fisheries Officer, Samuel Stone, who was on the judging panel along with the Marine Stewardship Council for the Good Catch Award says Richardson’s have really taken the sustainable message to the core of their businesses. “It’s great to see that our chippies are making responsible choices by selling sustainable seafood.

Richardson’s have a great range of certified sustainable, and really good tasting fish on the menu and their shop is filled with loads of great information about their seafood - they even have their seafood policy up on the wall for customers to see.”

The Good Catch Award was co-sponsored

by Collins Seafoods, one of the UK’s biggest suppliers of ‘Frozen at Sea Fish’, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the global program setting standards for sustainable fishing practises, and the Marine Conservation Society, the UK charity dedicated to the protection of our seas, shores and wildlife.

It recognised those fish and chip businesses that are leading the way in the responsible sourcing of sustainable fish and seafood, working to protect supplies so they are available for future generations to enjoy.

Good Catch co-sponsor Collins Seafoods

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Managing Director, Richard Collins said: “Collins Seafoods was thrilled to be a co-sponsor of the Good Catch Award for the National Fish & Chip Awards 2014.

We have been delighted to see the quality of the entries in the category and to see how they have taken sustainability to the heart of their businesses.”

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

32

Good Catch Award - Richardson’s Fish Bar (Toby Middleton of Marine Stewardship Council; Richard Collins of Collins Seafoods Limited; Rob Taylor, James Wood, Chris Richardson and Jean Christophe Novelli).

33

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

33

Know business

Food to Eat and Food for Thought served up with a large portion of family fun

Well done again Friars Pride!

I

t may have been wet, windy and miserable outside of late, but there was many a warm welcome at the fish and chip and fast food trade’s “Fry I.T. exhibition held at the Peterborough arena on Sunday 23rd February. There were over 80 stands displaying every aspect of the trade. It was a chance for over 2000 chippies from across the country to get to know their suppliers, have a handson inspection of the latest equipment, consider a few new extra business addons, and maybe even meet up with old friends. With free samples on many of the stands, you might say that lunch was laid on too.

Every year the seminar room offers free learning seminars and presentations.

This year did not disappoint, kicking off with ‘The importance of customer loyalty’ presented by Ed Hayden. The message being, in short, ‘Reward-It’. Next up, ‘The Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year’,

34

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

presented by the 2014 winner, the very much in demand, Leigh Foster. Later in the afternoon Peter Fraylich of Global Messaging presented the case for mobile marketing for fish and chip shops, and the afternoon was topped off when Barry Dickman of BD Signs took a break from his ever busy stand to tell us why “If we branded it right - we sell more” .

Those who had a good wander around the main hall found many offers and show deals available to only those who attended FRY I.T. 2014. With over 80 stands, ranging from widely known brands like Heinz and Pukka Pies to new innovations coming from enthusiastic start-up firms, there was something for everyone. There was even a chance to meet a trawler captain.

As always, children were well catered for with face painting and balloon modelling competitions. Looking for a trade show that has a happy, positive Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

34

like show business

family atmosphere? Leave it to Friars Pride, it is a family run business and it shows.

FRY I.T. 2014 was an absolute success and the show will be back in 2015, no doubt with even more attractions and exciting offers.

Details will be announced later in the year.

Ian wins the iPad Mr Ian Kilby from Ely has won the Fry I.T. preregistration contest and he has received his award – a brand new iPad Air on the Monday after the show.

Brian Rowell the Sales Representative at Friars Pride visited the owner of The Fish House in Ely and handed him his new device.

Slightly surprised but very happy at the same time Mr Kilby said “I didn’t expect to win the competition. I mean I thought it would be nice if it did happen, but I buy a lottery ticket every week never expecting to win it. I will use the iPad to help run my business but it will also give me and the family hours of pleasure.”

The Chippy Chat team will see you there again next year!

Prize Winner KFE offered a big prize on the day; a free place on a two day School of Excellence course worth £575 .. .and the Winner is Russel Fay of Fareham 35

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

FRY I.T. 2014 iPad Winner Ian Kilby form the Fish House in Ely

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

35

Chippy Kat Kat Deuchars of John Dory’s chippy, Belfast, finalist in the Young Fish Frier of the Year Award sponsored by Drywite writes for chippy Chat

It’s Not Just a Job I

have worked in John Dorys for 7 years now, frying for 4 years, and endlessly learning!

That’s one of the things I love most about our industry; the learning never stops. With a sector bursting full of friendly and passionate people, so willing to help one another, the standard is continuously being raised. I am proud to be a part of that journey.

Entering Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year 2014, and reaching the top 10 UK, has truly enhanced my knowledge and abilities.

As well as exposing me to so many fellow fish an chip enthusiasts. I won’t lie, for many years I was working with tunnel vision,

unaware of what goes on in the wider picture.

Unexposed to it all. The term big-fish-smallpond springs to mind. This time last year, I became a very small fish in a massive ocean.

A little overwhelming at the start, but the people I have met have been so helpful and inspiring. And so much fun!

Another amazing journey which helped us personally raise our standards.

Being from Northern Ireland, it isn’t always easy to make it to all of the events that are held mainland throughout the calendar, but it is certainly worth the effort. When you talk to other friers, fishermen, suppliers, shop owners, you realise what a tightly knitted industry we work in. All working for a common cause- we love providing top quality fish and chips to our customers!

John Dorys also made it all the way to the prestigious National Fish and Chip Awards held in London in January, as regional finalists representing Northern Ireland in the Independent Take-Away category. Another amazing journey which helped us personally raise our standards. Many congratulations to Stuart Fusco at the Quayside, we couldn’t have lost to a more deserving winner.

It is incredible how much and how fast the fish and chip industry is advancing and developing. From the ways in which we source and catch our fish, to the methods and equipment we use to cook it. It would be great to see more young friers making the choice to work in fish and chip shops a career, and not just a job.

Contact/Info

Young Fish Frier of the Year Award is sponsored by Drywite Visit: www.drywite.co.uk Email: enquiries@ drywite.co.uk Drywite Ltd, The House Lee,Harp Lane Halesowen, West Middlands. B63 2RA T: 01384 569556

36

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

36

DONER

UK KEBABS

AND CHICKEN

KEBAB

T. 0121 405 0545

SPECIALIST

a bit about us… 

Stockists of the UK’s best selling kebab products.



Our priority is to ensure you serve the best doner and chicken kebab for your customers.



Superior delivery service.



Marketing assistance to help increase sales.

We stock the UK’s largest range of doner and chicken kebab products

THE WORLD’S GREATEST

KEBAB KNIFE! Andreas says...

"The Devran Kebab Knife is incredible. The Germans don't mess about where quality is concerned. Its efficient, reliable and makes our job a lot easier.

I can't imagine working without one now!"

It also cuts chicken kebab!

Andreas & Yvonne Symeou (Yvonne Pictured Right)

Shelton Lock Fishbar - Derby

ENGINEERED AND MANUFACTURED IN GERMANY! Designed to slice 90kg of Doner or Chicken Kebab per day!

Order Today and Save £££££ you are spending unnecessarily repairing cheaper models.

www.ukkebabs.com E. ukkebabs@aol.com 37

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Unit 7-8 I Wednesbury Trading Estate I Wednesbury I WS10 7JN

37

Burton Road Fish and Chip Shop

First, a Second Time!

Choice Chip Awards 2014

F

or the second year in a row, Lincoln’s Burton Road Fish and Chip Shop has officially claimed the title of ‘Best Chippy Chips’ in the UK, at the Choice Chip Awards 2014!

As voted for by loyal customers, the competition, which is held in recognition of Chip Week 2014 (17-23 February), saw over 900 chip shops competing for the hotly contested title and the chance to be crowned the nation’s ‘Champion Chippy’.

A record breaking 62,983 votes were cast by loyal customers both online at www.chips. lovepotatoes.co.uk and through voting cards placed in participating shops.

Run by Potato Council, the Choice Chip Awards reward the tastiest chips being

38

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

served in ten regions of the UK. And, after scooping the East Midlands ‘Best Chippy Chips’ title, Burton Road Fish and Chip Shop went on to claim the highly coveted ‘National Champion’ title after topping the public voting system and serving perfect portions of freshly cooked chips.

Des Anastasou and Lesley Graves who run Burton Road Chippy were delighted after claiming the ‘Best Chippy Chips’ title for the second year running. Des, who has been in the fish and chip business for over 35 years, said: “We take great pride in sourcing only the best locally grown Maris Piper potatoes for our chips. We peel, wash and prepare the potatoes in the shop every morning so that they are fresh and ready to prepare for each Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

38

customer’s order, the same way we always have since we have opened the shop in 2002.

“We feel honoured to be recognised as the best chippy for the second year running and we must thank our fantastic team for all their hard work and most importantly our loyal customers who voted for us to win.”

Stu Baker, Chip Week campaign manager for Potato Council, said: “We’ve had a fantastic response from chip shops keen to get involved in this year’s Chip Week and make the most of the opportunity to drive sales. From running promotions to raising money for charity, chip shops across the country are pulling out all the stops to champion the mighty chip!

“This year’s Choice Chip Awards has been a resounding success; over 62,000 votes were placed which is the highest number ever. That just goes to show that customers are keen to support their local chip shop and give them the recognition they deserve for serving a perfect portion of freshly cooked chips.

THE CHOICE CHIP AWARDS HALL OF FAME 2014 National Champion and East of England: The Burton Road Fish & Chip Takeaway & Restaurant, Lincoln Scotland: Wee Kelpie, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire North East: Fish Face, Seaton Carew, Hartlepool North West: Pennington’s Plaice, Leigh Yorkshire: Towngate Fisheries, Bradford Midlands: Chamberlain’s, Birmingham Wales: Shillingfords Traditional Fish and Chips, Neath South West: Alf’s Fish & Chip Shop, Weymouth South East: The Golden Fish, Dagenham London: Brockley’s Rock, Brockley Road, London 39

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Building National Treasures with National Treasures Food artist Prudence Staite used 10kg of chips to recreate Stonehenge, the Angel of the North, Big Ben, the Loch Ness Monster, the London Eye and the White Cliffs of Dover.

S

taite and her team spent six months planning, trialing and carefully constructing each sculpture.

Stonehenge used 75 chips and took five hours to build and the Angel of the North was the most time consuming, needing 240 chips and 12 hours to build.

Staite said: “We had so much fun with this project, from the very first sketches to the technical challenges around how the sculptures would hold together.

“Iconic landmarks in Britain are so important to our cultural history and eating chips is such a British tradition, it felt natural to combine the two and create some history of our own. It did leave us a little hungry though.”

Stu Baker from the Potato Council said: “We always enjoy the creativity and ingenuity that chip week tends to inspire, and Prudence has certainly taken it to a whole new level.

Contact/Info T: 01664 869409.

Potato Council A&HDB, Stoneleigh Park Kennelworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2TL Visit: www. potato.org.uk Visit: chips.lovepotatoes.co.uk Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

39

Chamberlains Fish & Chips know how to make the most of Chip Week and they’re happy to share their nlne point plan...

1

Chip week Banner - We gave Free Chips away Monday to Thursday in the takeaway only - The only criteria was that the customer had to buy a fish, small fish = small chips, large fish = large chips.

This was well received by our customers, loyal customers were rewarded with a saving, or in some cases bought extra and it did bring additional customers in. Overall our Takeaway income increased by nearly 15% on the previous 4 weeks and this was despite giving away free chips as the additional custom it brought in more than covered the cost. We had support from our suppliers with free product for this.

Given that we are directly next door to a busy Drive-Through McDonalds the banner works very well and gives customers a good reason to give Fish & chips a try.

2

Poster/Leaflets - you can see the advert we had done, this was mainly used on our monthly newsletter which is handed out to customers in the restaurant and takeaway and also emailed out to our 1700 subscribers to our email bulletin. We also used this on our menu table talkers for 3 weeks in advance so all our customers knew it was coming.

3

Half Term Kids for £1 in the restaurant.

We did an offer for the restaurant as Chip Week coincided with half term and Under 12’s could eat for just £1 if an adult ordered a main course at a regular price.

This proved very popular and even though we reduced children’s meals by this amount overall restaurant turnover was up by over 20%.

4

We ran a competition on Free Radio (A Birmingham based Radio Station) where they advertised Chip week for a few days and gave away meals in their Drivetime programmes on the Friday of Chip Week.

5

We offered tasty toppings for £1 in the takeaway as a way to mitigate the cost of giving away free chips and clawing some of the money back, these proved

40

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

very popular and we did cheese and bacon and also battered jalapenos and Cheese for our vegetarians.

6

We used social media a lot to get Chip Week moving and to help us get votes which helped us win the Best in the Midlands.

7

Once we knew we had won our region we contacted the local newspapers and featured with photographs in both the Express & Star and Birmingham Mail, further increasing our awareness.

8

We invited the Lord Mayor of Birmingham to visit which he did with the Lady Mayoress and not only did he enjoy eating his fish & chip meal, he spoke to every table in the restaurant and all members of staff, this was extremely well received and he was even tweeting pictures of his fish and chips all weekend to all his 4500 followers which in turn increases our awareness.

9

We had a Chip Week video done to promote our events, this makes it much easier to share via social media and email and a well worth excercise, it can be viewed here. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Zl6PQYz7bj0 The video has recived about 150 views which we are quite happy with.

Once again Chip week has proved very successful for us as it has done in each of the 3 years we have taken part, it increases turnover by around 20-25% overall and increases awareness so we would naturally continue to support Chip Week and encourage other Fish & Chip shops to do the same, it also gives all the staff a lift and boost to get involved in the different activities. Personally I think Chip Week is well positioned in February as it gives an excellent call to action after the Christmas Break and often January bad weather and it gives people a reason to get back to loving chips!

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

40

When the chips are down... you can depend on Jacksons

Jacksons freshly prepared chips offer you so much more than just good taste.

• Freshly prepared every day from sustainably sourced potatoes • Delivered next day in handy vacuum sealed packs • No waste, no hassle, no mess • Saves you time and money

• • • •

Environmentally friendly Friendly helpful staff Available across the UK Easy to order online or over the phone

For further information about our freshly prepared chips, please contact us:

41

01462 819 733 chips@jacksonschips.co.uk Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014 Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014 jacksonschips.co.uk

41

Urgent appeal for funds to help our fishermen

T

he Fishermen’s Mission is working to provide emergency practical and financial support to fishermen who are struggling to provide for their families during one of the stormiest winters on record in Britain.

While much of the focus has been on communities swamped by widespread flooding, the plight of fishermen, who rely on seafaring to provide an income, has gone largely unnoticed.

Fishermen’s Mission warns that many have been unable to work since December as a result of the rough seas, leaving them without funds to pay for food, rent and bills.

Among those particularly affected are fishermen in the South and South West of England and along the Welsh coast, where storms have destroyed fishing equipment and even sunk boats.

Fishermen’s Mission is supporting these families and has so far been given £50,000

from Seafarers UK to help those most in need.

There is a long way to go, however, as £12,000 of that sum was given out in emergency grants to fishermen in just 24 hours.

“There are around 13-14,000 fishermen in the UK,” said Director of Fund raising Alison Godfrey.

“Obviously not everyone will be affected, but we suspect the majority have had some sort of impact and there are hundreds upon hundreds of people struggling. “£12,000 doesn’t even scratch the surface when you think of people who haven’t worked for two months and have mortgages to pay.

We’re really just at the tip of the iceberg, we need people to help, but we also really need those who are struggling to come forward and tell us.”

“From talking to those on the ground, our biggest concern is for those fishermen whose boats have been completely smashed or who have lost a significant amount of kit, which can be very expensive,” said Godfrey.

“Fishermen have quotas that they pay for, but many are now unable to fish for that amount, so they are losing out. We’re worried that many won’t be able to afford to go back into fishing.

“But our immediate concern is for a significant number of people and families who are struggling, but who might not know that we can help them.”

The Fishermen’s Mission is keen that all those fishermen who have been affected by the adverse weather get in touch - call freephone 0800 634 1020, or visit www.fishermensmission.org.uk <- Funds raised so far Visit - www.justgiving.com/ Urgentappeal for a the latest figure

To donate

Text FMEN13 £3 to 70070 (network charges apply), go to www.justgiving.com/Urgentappeal or send cheques to The Fishermen’s Mission, Mather House, 4400 Parkway, Solent Business Park, Whiteley, Hants PO15 7FJ. 42

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

42

A message from Phil Mellon at Fishy Business

Please help us raise money to make a wish come true for a 5 year old boy who is terminally ill

...and after the storms die down... the wholesale price of fish still goes up by more than 40%

W

ith many fishing vessels unable to set sail because of the stormy seas, supply has been cut and prices were pushed up.

Wholesalers have been forced to pay up to 40% more for favourites such as haddock, plaice and whiting caught in the Atlantic Ocean.

However, the price hike is yet to filter down to retail level and the average portion of fresh fish and chips has only risen by 10 per cent so far.

Other species of fish have been almost impossible to get hold of, and many fish markets have found themselves completely empty over the past few weeks.

Over the past 12 months wholesale prices for popular white fish such as cod, haddock and whiting have risen dramatically.

Haddock has shot up in price to £1,474 a tonne, up 54%, while plaice has soared to £1,246, or a 51 per cent increase.

The good news is the prices are starting to come down again now because there are more fish in the system. Things will improve week on week.

The government body, Seafish, reassured people that most of the rise caused by recent weather will be taken on by business owners until the price drops back to normal levels.

Whilst many prices have been on the rise, products such as sea bass and bream, have remained relatively fixed due to fish farms around the county.

43

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

L

ittle Ryan is a cousin of one of my staff. Ryan has a rare form of Sarcoma Cancer which affects one person every four years in the UK. Ryan has had Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy and other treatment.

Unfortunately there is nothing more that can be done and he only has months to live. The cancer has spread to his bones and he has a big lump behind one eye which will result very soon in having to have his eye removed!

We are basically fund raising to raise some money to give Ryan a treat. Maybe a trip to the zoo for him and his family, helicopter ride, London eye or something bigger if we raise enough money!

Myself and Ryan’s cousin really appreciate any help given to raise money. We would like to make him better, but unfortunately all we can do is help to make the little boys short life as special as possible. He is a lovely lad, always smiling regardless of his problems.

A Thankyou email from Phil...

Just a quick email to say thank you very much for featuring our fundraising in your magazine.

I am pleased to say that we have received some cheques through the post which should help to put a smile on the little boys face.

Unfortunately he is quite poorly at the moment and in hospital. Hopefully he will be home at the weekend and well enough to enjoy his brand new Electric kids Range Rover purchased by the fund.

A huge thank you for your help!

Kind regards Phil Mellon Fishy Business

Contact/Info Money can be sent by cheque in the post to; Ryan Tanner Appeal Fund c/o Fishy Business 98 Central Avenue Dogsthorpe Peterborough PE1 4LH Cheques made payable to; Ryan Tanner Appeal Fund Details of what we raise and how we spend it along Ryan’s progress can be found on his facebook page, search Ryan Tanner Appeal Fund.

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

43

The

Deeply Clean Quiz 1

Q- M- C- S-

WIN! n

A

At which tourist destination does it take 300 hrs to clean the floors.

The Eiffel Tower The Tower of London The Empire State Building Disneyland Paris

2

If unexpected guests arrive, which of these options is the best to give

your kitchen a fresh clean smell.

U - Liquidise citrus peel L - Boil nutmeg, cloves or cinnamon

with orange peel in a pan E - Bake a batch of choc chip cookies Y - Light a scented candle

3 Starter Kit 500g Large Tub of Deep Clean Powder 400ml Spray Can of Cleaner Polish 1 Micro Fibre Cloth Answer the questions to the right and take note of the red letter next to the answer you have chosen by filling in the squares below...

1

2

3

4

Michelangelo’s famous Sistine Chapel ceiling required how many years of

cleaning to remove a build-up of

candle smoke, and layers of glue

meant to preserve it.

A- 5 T - 10 E - 15 S - 20

4

How long does it take to install and vacuum the red carpet at the

Academy Awards?

P - 12hrs T - 1 day C - 2 days A - 5 days

5

Your letters should spell out a word.

Email the word to austen@chippychat.co.uk and you could win a

5

Which household item is good for cleaning copper, stained carpets

and wine-stains?

A - Sugar M - Corn Starch L - Vinegar N - Salt

Starter Kit

44

Competition entries must be in before May 1st 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

44

45

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

45

What makes a chipping potato?

by Mark Oughtred (Marketing Manager & Variety Ambassador for Agrico UK Ltd)

T

o get the perfect chip there are many things to consider - Fry times, temperatures, single or double fry, dry white, which oil to use, oil cleanliness etc.

However, before all of these considerations take place, it is the potato itself that is of great relevance, and not any old potato will do! Before your potatoes are delivered, ready for being made into chips, have you thought about what goes into creating them?

The journey of a potato is a long and complex one. At the very beginning is the breeding of the potato itself. There are literally hundreds of varieties, some more successful than others, and new and improved ones are being bred all the time.

Potato breeders are looking for what the market wants - For instance in the UK we rate taste as important, whereas less developed countries might prefer those varieties that are easy to grow, and produce the highest yields to feed their population. Breeding

Say potato, say

Agrico.

Agrico UK Ltd is a specialist developer and supplier of high grade seed potatoes, supplying innovative and tasty chipping varieties to the fast food trade.

Have you tried our Markies, Agria, Fontane and Performer potatoes?

Why not ask your local supplier today Call: 01307 840 551 Email: potatoes@agrico.co.uk 46 www.agrico.co.uk Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March @agrico_uk

2014

new potato varieties is a lengthy and costly investment. It takes at least 11 years of trials, evaluations, and selections to bring just a handful to fruition, at a cost of millions. At this stage it takes a further 6 years to grow enough seed potatoes to sell commercially. A further year to grow the seed into a crop for consumption, so nearly 20 years in total. To illustrate this, the chipping variety Markies, which has become hugely popular in the fish and chip shop trade, was first bred back in 1988.

Not all potato varieties will work as chippers. They typically need to be oval long in shape, produce uniformed big tubers and have shallow eyes so that there is less wastage when peeling. The dry matter content, i.e. the percentage of the potato that is solid rather than water, is also important, and is ideally between 20-22%. If it is too low then it won’t have the required texture, will absorb more oil and subsequently end up as a limp soggy chip; Too high and it can make the potato susceptible to bruising and creates a hard textured chip. Other things such as fry colour must also be considered. Yellower varieties such as Agria are often preferred in the chipping market, whereas Markies is known for being a paler chip.

From the farmer’s perspective, the potato crop is an investment with risks attached, and the variety has to be commercially viable to grow. It must suit the soil type on the farm - for example the black Fenland soils of Cambridgeshire are renowned for producing top quality chipping potatoes. Chosen varieties need to produce a good marketable yield with good credentials such as resistance to potato diseases, drought tolerance, resistance to bruising and storability. In terms of the latter point, potatoes are harvested in the autumn months, so the potatoes you’re cooking now from UK stocks will have been carefully stored over winter in a temperature controlled environment. So long term storage and stable sugar levels must also be assessed.

Potato breeding and growing are highly specialised professions that are fundamental components of the potato industry.

There’s a huge amount of investment and considerations that happen behind the scenes to create that perfect chip. So next time you’re frying up, think of the journey the potato took to get there.

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

46

Anthony Swift (Liverpool)

Reliable daily deliveries throughout the North-West Guaranteed quality supplies throughout the year.

Specialist supplier to fish and chip shops

0151 526 5318 aj.swift@live.com

North-East & Borders

BWH Graham ( Northumberland )

Daily deliveries throughout the North-East, supplying fryers with the best chipping potatoes available in the marketplace Consistent quality throughout the year.

Call 01670 521801 07850 772578 brrygraham@aol.com

POTATO SUPPLIERS

North West

Call the Potato Professionals Today

Delivering quality potatoes throughout your region Bridlington Scarborogh Pickering

Pontefract Wakefield Bradford Leeds

NORTH YORKSHIRE

LANCASHIRE

EAST YORKSHIRE

WEST YORKSHIRE GREATER MANCHESTER

YS H IR

GH AM

RB

CHESHIRE

Midlands, Wales & South-West

LINCOLNSHIRE

E

AF ST FO

NOTT IN

DE

SH IR

E

SOUTH YORKSHIRE

Thorne Barnsley Sheffield Doncaster Rotherham Goole Grimsby

RD SH IR E

P o t a t o e s

L t d

Now Supplying North and West Lon don Mitchell Potatoes (Estab 1883) is proud to be one of the UK’s longest established potato merchants, a record built on quality and reliability.

Consistent quality: Our large supplier base and vigilant quality control helps provide consistent quality all year round.

Punctual deliveries: We run a fleet of modern vehicles with 24hr breakdown assistance.

Annual fixed price contracts: We offer fixed price contracts to help you manage your budget without the worries of price fluctuations.

We stock all frying varieties.

01926 633 323

www.mitchells-potatoes.co.uk @mitchellpots

Mitchell Potatoes

We are a Long established family firm of potato merchants, leading fish & chips shop suppliers and stockists of catering supplies.

Our customers cover a wide area including Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Somerset, Worcestershire, South Wales & Wiltshire.

Mason Potatoes have decades of experience We source potatoes from only the best growers and suppliers who meet our stringent quality standards By using our own fleet of vehicles our deliveries are customised to fit specific customer requirements We have an understanding of the region we cover that is second to none Our extensive range of dry goods and sundries ensures that we offer a unique service to our customers We focus on delivering the highest quality at the most competitive price To protect our customers against the ever changing price of one of their basic commodities we offer the security of fixed price contracts for our potatoes

Visit...

www.masonpotatoes.co.uk You can call us on:

01989 762000

Mansfield Ashbourne Notts Derby Dronfield

LEICESTERSHIRE

North Lincolnshire Scunthorpe

Area Covered

Established 80yrs Fixed price contracts available Potatoes replaced within 12hrs in the bigger unlikely event of you being dissatisfied All batches rigorously checked and test fried Ring today for your free sample

Lomas Potatoes 01909 562327 (3 lines)

07932 155677 (Andy) (S,Yorks, N,Yorks, Notts)

07703 263033 (Garry) (E,Yorks, N,Yorks, W,Yorks)

allomas@btconnect.com

Advertise here, you’re reading this, others will too. Call 01353 865 966 Now

47

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

47

Property Whether your on the move, or building an empire, take the first step on your journey here

Knightsbridge are delighted to be marketing for sale this successful town centre Fish & Chip shop in the heart of Stockport town centre

T

he business is long established and has been under the ownership of our client since 2008 seeing significant investment since this date.

The shop has 28 internal covers for eat-in trade which is complimented by takeaway custom.

The premises are located just off the main shopping street in the centre of Stockport, Cheshire. The centre sees large volumes of passing foot traffic with shoppers visiting the centre at all times of the day. It sits close to the market hall and forms part of a shopping parade which has a mix of retail outlets helping to attract custom to the immediate area.

There is scope to increase the current trading hours to increase custom. Additional lines could also be added to the menu to further increase turnover and profitability.

The area is seeing significant residential development at present with new flats being created around the shop. These new residences could also help to provide additional custom.

Key Information: Weekly turnover: £2100 Weekly Rent: £210 EPC Rating D Price: £44,995 ONO, Leasehold

Accountants with a Difference

I recommen d without he sitation or reservatio nfor your acco Miles Waterman untancy need s.

Their under pinning know ledge of our trade along with th eir experience in managing thei clients acco untancy need r s in our industry is un rivalled.

I was very im pressed wit h the advice I rece ived from th em going forward.

Specialist Accountants in Fish & Chips Trade We can help with much more than just accounting...

Nationwide coverage Fixed monthly all inclusive fees No hidden charges Call us for a FREE Visit: 0800 026 3661

- Mark Petr

ou (Winner of awards includ Multiple ind ing the Fish and Chips sh ustry year compet op of the ition)

www.fishadvisors.com email: mm@mileswaterman.co.uk 48

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

48

49

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

49

Property Whether your on the move, or building an empire, take the first step on your journey here

The Codfather

The Blue Whale Sold SOLD: Business gives new buyer a whale of a time

K

ings Business Transfer is pleased to announce the sale of The Blue Whale. This traditional fish and chip shop occupies a prime town centre trading position in the very heart of the bustling town of Earlestown, Newton-le-Willows.

K

ings Business Transfer is delighted to introduce The Codfather to the market. This traditional fish and chip shop provides an excellent opportunity for a new owner to take over a well established business located on a busy main parade of shops within a densely populated residential area.

Located in St Helens in Merseyside, The Codfather has earned an enviable reputation within the area establishing a loyal customer base. After recently receiving a Gold Chip Fryer Award, they have also enjoyed press coverage in local newspapers which has given the business a boost.

The Codfather operates in a prominent position from a single fronted property which provides a well appointed ground floor lock up premises.

The business is thriving and lucrative yet is operated entirely by staff due to our clients other commitments, therefore presenting an excellent opportunity for an ambitious operative to potentially extend the opening hours and introduce a delivery service which would undoubtedly increase the weekly takings.

Our clients have decided to put the business on the market due to their other business commitments, giving a new owner an excellent opportunity to take over a lucrative, traditional fish and chip shop.

Kings Business Transfer is offering The Codfather at ÂŁ49,950 for the leasehold interest. If you require any further information on this business please do not hesitate to get in contact on 0844 248 8257.

50

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ March 2014

The Blue Whale received a good deal of interest throughout its time on the market with Kings Business Transfer with 3 viewings and 3 offers from different interested parties.

Our clients have established a good quality business with huge profits. After owning the business for 30 years they have sold due to personal reasons, giving the new owner an excellent opportunity to take over the reputation they have built.

The purchaser, Mr Marcou, became interested in The Blue Whale due to its strong turnover and prominent position. Kings Business Transfer was able to liaise with The Bank of Cyprus to ensure a smooth transaction and the sale completed in February 2014.

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ March 2014

50

51

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

51

52

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • March 2014

52