Liam Brown, owner of Mike’s Famous Fish & Chips in Blackburn, West Lothian, recently welcomed Frymax Ambassador Colin Cromar into his shop after winning a competition visit designed to help operators fine-tune their businesses and identify opportunities for improvement.
Liam, who opened the restaurant and takeaway back in 2022, said entering the competition was a straightforward decision. “It just seemed like the right thing to do,” he says. “At the moment, you want to be on top of every aspect of your business, scaling it properly and making as much money as possible. Getting advice from someone like Colin is invaluable.”
During the visit, Colin spent several hours with Liam and his wife Laura, reviewing all areas of the operation. While Mike’s Famous Fish & Chips is already a well-established and professionally run business, the session focused on reconfirming processes and practices rather than implementing big changes. “It was really about going over everything,” says Liam. “Oil management, filtration, potato prep, frying practices – just making sure we were doing everything the right way.”
Oil management, in particular, was a crucial focus. With oil prices continuing to rise, Colin highlighted small but important details that can make a significant difference over time. One example was carbon build-up on filtration pads. “We clean and filter every single day,” Liam explains, “but Colin was able to show us exactly where carbon can still build up. Removing that properly helps prolong oil life, which protects both product quality and margins.”
The conversation also touched on the uncertainty around fish supply and pricing, with Liam and Colin discussing diversification and alternative income streams. Liam comments: “We talked a lot about chicken, different seasonings and dishes that could help broaden the offer. We’ve already started doing that, and honestly, the chicken has become just as popular as the fish.” They also explored whether scaling down, rather than expanding, might be the right approach in quieter trading periods, particularly at lunchtime during the winter months.
Despite Colin finding very little that needed correcting, Liam found huge value in having an experienced industry figure confirm that his systems and standards were already strong. He adds: “It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the trade, you should always be improving. The best way to do that is by bouncing ideas off people with real experience.”
After sitting down to a fish super cooked by Liam, Colin added: “Liam is a great operator. It’s a really nice, family-run business, a smart looking shop and they’re producing a very good product. He’s already doing an excellent job.”
Frymax www.frymax.co.uk
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