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!
