Jul 2011 - Issue 5 - National Federation of Fish Friers

THE fish friers REVIEW
Fit for a king
While the standard in fish and chips continues to rise and a new wave of professionalism sweeps the
industry, it’s important that the quality of the food isn’t let down by the quality and feel of the shop fitting.
The FFR speaks with two of the industry’s leading fitting and design companies to learn about how fish and
chip shops across the country are smartening up their act.
Changing times
There’s no denying that fish and chips are traditionally a
convenience food. Ready and willing to serve a purpose before the
customer moves on to their next destination, be it the pub, the match
or the car back home.
But as this still remains true, top quality fish and chips are as finer
food as any and when presented this way, will be treated that way.
While good fish and chip shops often build a trusted reputation over
generations for the food they serve, how often is the individuality a
shop can develop through its food and service properly represented
by the way it looks? Do your customers feel welcome?
A familiar image is of shops tucked away in back streets with aging
signs, faded paintwork and out of date posters hanging behind the
range counter, but Matthew Fletcher
of Elite Shopfitters sees this as a
thing of the past, “It is very important
for fish and chip shops (and all takeaway
premises) to update and
maintain a visual identity that is
synonymous with the food they
serve, an interior refurbishment
sends out a message of intent that
people’s perceptions count. We
often see that the quality of food at many shops is exceptionally
good, but the identity and general appearance can be a total
contrast.”
With an increasingly competitive environment putting more pressure
on fish and chip shops than ever before, it’s become noticeable that
shops are starting to take their image a lot more seriously.
16
By Thomas Pick
“
Something that Robert Teasdale of Big Whale Shopfitters has
welcomed as an emerging trend, “A lot of fish and chip shops are
having a lot of money spent on them”, moving with the times with
some really funky modern designs that are attracting custom to their
shop rather than their surrounding competitors. It’s all about
building a brand. Owners and managers are becoming far more
ambitious and image is a real key to success. When opening a 2nd
and 3rd fish and chip shop, people will already know who you are,
and will be queuing for you to open.”
Trends
A lot of fish and chip
shops are having a lot of
money spent on them
When looking at the main trends that have developed over the
recent years, Robert has noticed two defined styles, “We have seen
two distinct styles emerge in the fish and chip shop business over
the last few years, often depending on the location of the shop.
“
Probably the most common is city
centre shops going for a more
modern, funky look, incorporating
more elaborate colours. This can
be through brighter shop fronts,
more colourful tiling to catch the
eye, trendy lighting, it all helps give
the shop a cool designer look to
attract the younger customers.”
“The other trend is for shops in smaller towns and city suburbs who
stick to more of a traditional look with maroon shop fronts
incorporating traditional style brass lighting but still giving the crisp
clean look of the traditional fish and chip shop.”
Matthew adds that the use of stronger identity is certainly an
emerging trend, “Fish & chips are still very popular and an emerging