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.”
Spot Light – Andy’s Fish Bar, Swadlincote
Posted by Stelios Theocharous May 1, 2009 - 8:38 am
Name: Chris & Elena Constantinou
Shop: Andy’s Fish Bar, Swadlincote
Range: Preston & Thomas
Couldn’t Live Without: External Oil Filter Machine
Chris & Elena are no stranger to the fish and chip shop trade, they were both brought up into the trade through their parents. For the last ten years Chris has always used the same batter mix, never thought of changing until he tried the Natural made by The Batter Company.
Whilst working with it over the last few months, Chris has noticed a few differences that he likes about our batter mix, one of the biggest differences is that the fish tastes better, there is something about the batter that lets the flavour of the fish come through, and customers love it. Because at andy’s they like to use only the best fish it sometimes means they use Frozen At Sea or Wet Fish delivered from Grimsby, and they have noticed no difference between the two, the batter works well with all types of fish and other battered items.
Chris also believes that the batter leaves room for error, sometimes if the batter is a little too thin it always comes out fine and if your busy and don’t have time to put back into the fridge it does the job very well, there is no difference whatsoever. Over all it is a brilliant batter, cooks well, holds well and is value for money.
Stelios says:
It doesn’t matter how many awards a shop has got, Chris & Elena (and those at Andy’s before them) know how to look after customers, that is all that matters, and changing their batter was not an easy option, but in today’s trade its all about keeping customers happy.
