Golden boy Glen!

Glen Morrison talks about life since returning to Garioch Fish Bar in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, as the newly crowned Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year 

It was great coming back to the shop having won Drywite Young Fish Frier as I remember the feeling of disappointment coming back last year when I came so close. I’ve had so much support: customers have been popping in to congratulate me, and the shop’s social media has been buzzing with messages. One of the biggest surprises was receiving a bouquet of flowers from KFE – I’d never been sent flowers before!

The media attention has been intense but exciting. The local papers all ran stories on my win, and even the local radio station got in touch. They called me at 8am one morning – I had just woken up and suddenly found myself answering questions live on air! Luckily, it was more of a relaxed conversation rather than a technical interview, so it wasn’t too bad.

Winning the award has certainly had an impact on business. By the time I got back from London, the shop had already been incredibly busy, and we were running low on stock. We had to bring in extra supplies just to keep up with demand. 

The only thing now is that my dad is away on a month-long trip to Australia to visit my brother. So, it’s like, ‘Well done, you are the best young frier in Britain, the shop’s really busy, see you later!’. What it does mean is that I have full control of the shop so I’m using this as an opportunity to make some changes – clearing out things we no longer need or that I don’t like as my dad isn’t here to say no! Eventually, I’d like to introduce a new EPOS system and make the menu more efficient. Just so we can handle being really busy and so customers get their food quickly and to the same standard, and they definitely want to come back.

Looking ahead, I want to use my title to inspire the next generation. I’m hoping to get involved with schools to educate young people about the industry and show them that fish frying is a great career path. The whole meaning behind Drywite Young Fish Frier is to encourage the youth to come through so I’d like to carry that on. I’ve also been in talks with NEODA about possible opportunities for National Fish and Chip Day. They’re keen to get me on TV or involved in a cook-off, which would be an amazing experience.

Winning this award feels like validation for all the hard work I’ve put into improving myself and the shop over the years. Seeing names like Calum Richardson, Nigel Hodgson and Ryan Hughes on the trophy – people who have gone on to win national titles – is incredibly motivating. I’d love to open my own shop one day – Garioch is my dad’s so I’d like to build one up from scratch with its own identity. For now, though, I’m focused on how I can maximise this year.