Quality returns

For Sefa Tosun, owner of North Bay Fisheries in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, a Hopkins frying range has helped the takeaway regain its reputation for top quality fish and chips

North Bay Fisheries has built a strong reputation, so much so that it recently earned a glowing 9/10 review in The Sun’s list of the top ten fish and chip shops in the seaside town.

Since taking over the chippy, Sefa and has worked tirelessly to maintain the highest quality standards. “I operate for only three hours each day, from 4:30 to 7:30pm, with an additional lunchtime opening on Saturdays during the summer,” he explains. “The reason is simple — success depends on effective teamwork and thorough staff training. Quality control is paramount.” Around 70–80% of his customers are locals, a testament to the trust he has built in the community.

But in December 2024, disaster struck. His 15-year-old four pan island range began to fail. “On Christmas Eve one of the fish pans went down, which left me with just one pan for fish,” he recalls. “It was a nightmare. Customers were waiting far too long, and service was really difficult.”

That’s when he turned to Hopkins. “I spoke with Ferhat at Hopkins and by January 2nd an engineer had visited to do the layout. Just eight weeks later, the new range was installed. I couldn’t believe how quick and smooth the whole process was.”

Opting for a Hopkins Generation 5 four pan high efficiency island range with an additional 2 pan wall range, the upgrade has brought enormous benefits, in particular, quick recovery times.

“With the old range, recovery times were poor, and food was beginning to soak up oil, making it greasy,” Sefa remarks. “Some Google reviews even mentioned it. Now, recovery is perfect. Fish and chips cook faster, spend less time in oil, and taste much better.”

The new installation also expanded capacity, with a six pan setup replacing the old four pan range. “On Good Friday last year, waiting times hit 40 minutes. This year, with the Hopkins range, nobody waited more than 15 minutes. We can serve quicker, keep queues moving and, ultimately, take more money.”

Despite the added pans, Sefa has noticed no increase in gas bills. “That’s efficiency,” he says. “Two extra pans, but the same running costs. And compared with other suppliers, Hopkins were around 30% cheaper for the same layout, the same number of pans and the same quality.”

Equally important was the service Sefa received. “I must have called Ferhat 10 or 15 times asking to change the layout, but nothing was ever a problem. When I was a pan down before installation, he even lent me a standalone fryer to get through the busy weeks. That support made a big difference.”

With customers receiving improved food and speedier service, Sefa is keen to recommend Hopkins, adding: “If shop owners want high efficiency, fair prices and excellent quality, Hopkins is the range to go for.”

Hopkins 0113 2577934 www.hopkins.biz