Young fish frier James Ellams, from Fish & Chips at Weston Grove in Upton, has been visiting secondary schools across Cheshire and North Wales to share his experience and inspire students who are struggling in mainstream education.
James, 22, is currently a top 10 semi-finalist in the Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year competition. Having joined Fish & Chips at Weston Grove straight from school at 16 with no qualifications, he has since built a successful career, completed apprenticeships, gained industry experience across the UK, and become a well-known young ambassador within the fish and chip sector.
The school visits are in conjunction with We Mind the Gap, a charity that supports young people aged 11–15 who face barriers in traditional education. After hearing James speak at an industry event, the organisation invited him to take part as their first external speaker.
During the hour-long sessions, James has spoken openly about his own experience including the challenges he faced after leaving school, the importance of setting goals, and how developing transferable skills helped shape his future. The discussions also cover wellbeing, confidence and knowing when to reach out for support.
“I wanted to show them that their situation now doesn’t decide where they end up,” James said. “If even one young person feels inspired or sees a path forward after these sessions, then it’s worth it.”
Leaders at the programme praised the impact James has made, noting how students who had previously shown little engagement became fully involved in the conversation. James says he relates to many of the young people he speaks to and hopes that makes his message resonate more strongly.
“I was where they are now so I can relate, and they can relate to me. We had some great conversations and the students asked some pretty gruelling questions like what’s the toughest challenge I’ve faced in my career, but they also wanted to know what was the silliest thing someone has ever ordered from the fish and chip shop!”
Born and raised in Chester, James says giving something back to his local community is a privilege. He added: “I’ve got another talk next year at my old high school so that will be good to go back. I really hope through this project I can help young people believe in their potential.”
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