Happy New Year
Posted by Stelios Theocharous December 31, 2009 - 6:15 pm
To all our customers,
We would love to wish you a Happy New Year, We hope 2010 will be an amazing year for you.
Stelios Theocharous
The Batter Company
CHIPS & THINGS IN DONCASTER
Posted by Stelios Theocharous December 11, 2009 - 4:18 pm
Shop: Chips & Things
Name: Neil Marshall
Range: Mallinson
Frying Medium: Frymax
Location: Thorne, Doncaster
How long have you been at this shop?
15 yrs
What is your favourite piece of equipment in the shop and why
Mallinsons 3 pan fish range as its so fast and so easy to use.
Tell us a little about yourself and how you found yourself in this job?
I’m a 37 year old self taught fish fryer originally from Mablethorpe. I have family in Thorne and decided on a change and the perfect opportunity came along when the shop I now own became vacant. So I purchased the freehold.
What do you like the most about the fish and chips shop industry?
Trade consistency, it doesn’t fluctuate like some trades do, also the fact that fish and chips are loved by all generations young and old, it’s a national treasure.
What do you dislike the most about the fish and chip shop industry?
The fact that there are a lot of operators de-valuing the industry by serving huge portions at ridiculously low prices; in the long run it damages the industry and every shop large or small
What is special about your fish and chips shop?
We are the only award winning fish and chip shop for miles and we pride ourselves in serving the perfect portion of fish and chips every time
Why do you like the Natural Batter?
I leave decisions like this to my customers, if they like it and come back, then its a winner. Customers love the batter, and it cooks beautiful.
What is the area of your shop like?
Our shop is situated in a working class area where majority of people are in employment.
We have 4 fish and chips shops within a mile radius as well as 3 pizza shops 4 Chinese and 5 Indian take aways
Tell us a little about your family or team operation?
We have a valued workforce in place from spud basher to counter staff to assistant fryer to our delivery drivers. We all aim to deliver a fast friendly service with delicious food every time.
5 MINUTES WITH BRENT IN BARNSLEY
Posted by Stelios Theocharous December 10, 2009 - 12:52 pm
Name: Brent Watson
Shop: Y-pas Chippy
Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
Range: Hopkins
How long you been in trade?
I entered the trade in 1991 when I came to work for my father in the shop that I now run. Started out doing spuds at first then moved onto cutting fish then eventually frying.
What you do before, and how did it influence what you do in your shop?
When I left school I was Car and motorbike mad, so I set my heart on the motor trade. My first job was a apprentice paint sprayer / panel beater at a Peugeot dealership. This was a very precise and thorough trade were every thing had to be perfect to get the finish that was expected on a motor car.
We worked mainly on new and accident damaged cars and I enjoyed it very much. The process of painting a car and frying good fish and chips are not that dissimilar in that most of the work goes on before the final paint / fry. When we prepped a car we would get 40 hours to get it ready and it would take 20 min’s to put the paint on at the end. So same really we bone and portion fish to within a quarter of a ounce, we peel spuds and check and clean every one by hand. We make batter the same every shift. we clean the shop and do all the paper work then we fry fish and chips in a few minutes.
Who runs the shop with you?
Me and my wife Anne run the shop we work together and also separately along with staff. But one of us is always on site all the time. I think this is a crucial to our success.
What’s your location like?
Our shop is situated in a village on the outskirts of Barnsley in Yorkshire.
We have good parking but we don’t have a large population to make the shop busy their for we have to work for every customer.
How would you describe your menu, and what lengths do you go too to source best products?
Our menu is a very traditional we don’t do Pizza or Kebabs We try and aim for the family order especially at tea time when we close at 7.30. Our philosophy is to open be busy and close job done. The food is fresh the range is working the oil is working and every one is a winner customer and us alike!
What is it you like about our batter mix?
We just love The Batter Co product. It is good stuff that just wont let you down. My wife Anne loves batter but batter don’t love her and after about half an hour after enjoying fish and chips Anne feels bloated and quiet sickly. Now we know its the batter because she don’t feel like this if she just as chips nor if she eats fish poached or oven baked. But since we changed to The Batter Co batter this problem is no more and that got me thinking if this happens to Anne then how many others must it affect?
What range you got?
We have a 3 pan Hopkins counter range that has been fitted with Stork electronic controllers. Its nothing fancy but it is a good work horse.
Any hobbies?
Not much time for hobbies, but I do enjoy carp fishing with my lad and I just love family time whether its walking, swimming, going out for lunch or chilling in the garden!
Millennium Gets Battered To Go Natural
Posted by Stelios Theocharous June 11, 2009 - 9:25 am
Name: Paul Martin
Shop Name: Millennium Fish Bar
Location: Leicester
Range: Kiremko
Paul has been in the industry for over 20 years, starting off at Mario’s Fish Bar in Leicester which had an excellent reputation with customers and is probably one of the most famous fish and chip shops in Leicester, and then moving to his own shop with his wife to Saffron Lane in Leicester.
The area of Leicester is saturated with fish and chip shops so the competition is very intense, millennium fish bar has had to innovate and invest into their business practices, the Leicestershire council recently awarded the shop with a smiley face award which is the highest a food take away can get, which recognises food hygiene practices, structure of the building exterior and interior and their overall confidence with the management. Paul Says “I have been using the natural batter mix now for over a year and the consistency is just great, even when I changed over to HE Kiremko range I didn’t have to change the way I make my batter, It is consistent between all the three people who make the batter mix, I don’t mind paying more for certain products if they are better but the batter company natural is better value for money in my opinion. It is not easy to make a decision to change a product but I wanted to stand out from the competition and wanted a natural product rather than an orange one that my rivals are using.”
Stelios says.
“Paul and his wife and their Team work very hard to keep customers happy, they go out of their way to use the finest products and keep the locals coming in. After being at this shop for just over 10 years it is no small feat, and to carry on keeping the standards high day by day is an achievement in its self. We are of course happy to have Millennium on our list of happy customers, I know that they feel comfortable to let us know if there ever is a problem.”
Tony Zarcone Goes Natural
Posted by Stelios Theocharous June 11, 2009 - 9:14 am
Name: Tony Zarcone
Shop: Pisces Fish Bar
Where: Earl Shilton, Leicestershire
Range: Perfecta
Batter: Natural
Tony Zarcone & his sister cannot decide if it was 1961 or 1962 when they moved to England from Sicily, but then they finally settled on 1961. However it is not how long they have been in England that matters but the number of years they have been cooking quality fish and chips.
Pisces Fish & Chips is off the beat and track in a village called Earl Shilton in Leicestershire. They are off the main road in residential area and are a real chimney top fish and chip shop, so they don’t really get passing trade so it does truly matter what he serves his customers, because if the food is not of the highest quality customers will not go out of their way to eat their fish and chips. The village of Earl Shilton is only small, but there is a lot of competition from fish and chip shops and other takeaway’s that serve fish and chips along side their menu of kebabs, café and pizza, however Tony only does fish and chips with a limited menu including pies and items like sausages etcetera. Tony does not believe that the way forward is opening late hours and offering a vast menu, he only believes in opening hours that customers need. His team of his brother and his sister and employees keep the customers happy with their personal customer service skills that only come with being in a local area for as long as they have.
Tony has been frying fish and chips for nearly 40 years, and he has seen a thing or two, his family have been frying fish and chips for just as long with a fish and chip shop in Leicester, so when it comes to batter mix and frying mediums Tony only uses the best and only quality branded products like The Batter Company Natural & Frymax, three years ago Tony installed a high efficiency Perfecta range which he swears by and with all the of the above and cooking as fresh as possible is what keeps him and his customers happy.
Stelios Says “I was out canvassing when I dropped into see Tony at Pisces and when I showed him my batter mix, he was proud to say that he had already started using it after requesting a sample from his supplier Caterway based in Mansfield. Tony has 40 years experience in the trade, and I knew it would be difficult for him to change batter mix; however the family was very pleased with not only the quality but also the consistency. At The Batter Company we do not take for granted when a customer moves over to our batter mix, we find that were not building a customer base but a network of friends whom like the batter and get passionate about the food they fry.”
1st Birthday Offer
Posted by Stelios Theocharous June 3, 2009 - 5:34 am
Now is a good time to try our product, over the next few months our wholesalers will be selling our 16kg bags for £9.99, this is great value for money and also included our buy 9 get 1 free.
What are you waiting for?
The participating wholesalers are:
T Quality, Birmingham, 08708 505 605
Caterway, Leeds, 0113 270 2331
Caterway, Mansfield, 01623 515 812
Fresh Island Foods, Derby, 0114 2560 256
Fresh Island Foods, Sheffield, 0114 2560 256
Fresh Island Foods, Leeds, 0114 2560 256
Tuckleys Fast Foods, Northampton, 01604 499 919
Salamis & Co, Weston Super Mare, 01943 622 213
Paul Mccartney & Son, Boston, 01205 761 770
Jennings Foodservice, Darlington, 01325 548 448
All of the above are currently supporting the £9.99 special offer and dont forget this includes the buy 9 get 1 free.
If you have any questions about our batter mix or about any of our suppliers please call the batter company on 024 7635 0734 or email us on info@thebattercompany.co.uk
Get Your Free Samples From Our New Wholesalers
Posted by Stelios Theocharous May 29, 2009 - 11:38 am
We are pleased to announce that you can now get your free samples and stocking from the following new distributors.
CQS Continental Quattro Stagioni
8-33 Royal Elizabeth Yard
Kirkliston
West Lothian
SCOTLAND
EH29 9EN
Tel: 0131 319 1919
Fax: 0131 331 5201
Email: infoscot@continental-food.co.uk
- - -
Fish Trade Supplies
8 Riverside Industrial Park
Ipswich
Suffolk
IP2 8JX
Tel: 01473 601 680
Fax: 01473 687 556
Web: www.fishtradesupplies.co.uk
- - -
JL Owen Ltd
13 Blossom Street
Ancoats
Manchester
M4 5AF
Tel: 0161 236 0507
Fax: 0161 236 7831
- - -
Universal Catering Supplies
Units 4 & 6
565 Blandford Road
Poole
BH16 5BW
Tel: 01202 620 520
Email: sales@universalcateringsupplies.co.uk
Web: www.universalcateringsupplies.co.uk
These will be updated to our map shortly, please do not hesitate to call us on 024 7635 0734 or e mail the batter company on info@thebattercompany.co.uk
The Great Big Food Turnaround..
Posted by Stelios Theocharous May 28, 2009 - 5:34 am
The word rustic is popping up all over the place lately, on the M5 this morning i see it on the back of a large lorry, it seems that over the last two years there is an uprising within the whole food industry.
Fish and chips is a meal which we tell our customers is simple and tastes brilliant if cooked properly, i always remember telling my customers that our fish and chips was fresh fish, fresh chips, flour and water, but that was all i knew, until you look at the bag of batter and see whats in it, it shocks you a little.
For example we say do you add colourings when making home made yorkshire puddings??? the answer is no. So why do manufacturers add artificial colourings to batter mixes when we cook with a frying medium which naturally creates colour.
Customers are starting to get very fussy, they dont want to see fake food anymore, they want to eat healthy, nutritious food cooked freshly.
Let us know what you think, leave your comments below.
New Wholesaler – Salamis & Co
Posted by Stelios Theocharous May 28, 2009 - 5:18 am
The Batter Company are pleased to announce that we now have a new wholesaler.
Salamis & Co
44 Orchard Street
Weston Super Mare
Somerset
BS23 1RH
T: 01943 622 213
If you would like any samples or information please call Salamis & Co on 01943 622 213 or call The Batter Company on 024 7635 0734 or send us an email at info@thebattercompany.co.uk
Wholesaler Spot Light – Fresh Island Foods
Posted by Stelios Theocharous May 5, 2009 - 5:56 am
Fresh Island Foods were our first wholesaler, they believed in The Batter Company when it was still just a name with no logo, and they gave us our first order before we even produced a bag.
It has been just over a year since our first meeting and since then sales have grown tremendously, we at The Batter Company are very happy with the progress and trust that Fresh Island Foods have given us over this period.
Fresh Island Foods currently stock:
Natural 16kg
Natural 10 * 1.5kg
Natural Plus 16kg
Full Stock Of Samples
Fresh Island Foods have a very large distribution area, To find out if they deliver to you please call 0114 2560 256 and talk to their fantastic team.
Michael Brogden, Sales Director Fresh Island Foods Says,
“We have found the customers like the consistency of Natural Batter our sales have tripled compared to other brands of batter. The Batter Company are a pleasure to work with and have given fantastic support to help promote the product.”
