Every little helps

It’s the little extras battered in Goldensheaf that are helping  Cleethorpes chippy Pip’s Chips stay ahead

Located on the main road into Cleethorpes, around 20 minutes walk from the seafront and close to the Grimsby Town football ground, Pip’s Chips operates in one of the country’s most competitive areas for fish and chips.

“There’s loads of big, established fish and chip places that people have been going to for decades,” says Mark Aldridge, who opened the takeaway with his partner Pippa Gilbert in 2021. “And everyone’s an expert on fish because we’re next to Grimsby. You’ve got to serve the best to get people in.”

From day one, the couple focused on delivering the same quality every time, with Mark explaining: “There’s nothing worse than going for fish and chips one week and it’s brilliant, then you go the week after and it’s not very good. We try and do as much ourselves as we can, so it’s consistent every time.”

The shop’s biggest seller is haddock – the only fish on the menu – but it is the growing range of quirky add-ons and specials that are helping attract customers and boost profitability. “You don’t really make much on fish at the moment, so you’ve got to find those daft little things where you can make a good margin,” says Mark. 

Drawing on almost four decades as a chef, Mark is constantly experimenting with ideas that can be adapted for the fryer. “I’ll spot something on a menu and think I could do that through the fryer. Or I’ll be walking round the supermarket and see something and wonder what I could do with it.”

Among the most popular additions are Babybels, battered and fried to order. “We sell about 100 a week,” says Mark. ”They cost about 50p each and we sell them for £1. It’s a great add-on and it’s paying for the pot washer for the week and it’s bringing people into the shop.”

Other successful specials include cod and chilli croquettes, sweet chilli bubble prawns, mushy pea fritters, and battered sandwiches which change monthly and feature fillings such as lemon curd, jam, cheese and ham, or chocolate spread. “The sandwiches are literally a slice of bread with a bit of filling in it, battered and fried,” says Mark. “We sell them with a pot of ice cream for £4 and the margin on that is phenomenal. Plus, they get people talking, they’ll be chatting at work and telling their mates. Word of mouth does a lot more than putting an advert in a newspaper or on the radio.”

All items are battered in Goldensheaf G50 batter mixture, which the pair have used since day one. “It was what the previous owners used and it’s an excellent product,” explains Mark. “Customers actually come in and say, ‘Don’t ever change your batter,” and I wouldn’t. I know I could save a couple of quid with a cheaper product, but what’s the point if I’m going to lose customers.”

The takeaway also uses Dinaclass Irish Curry Sauce, which has developed a loyal following, particularly on Grimsby Town matchdays. “We get through gallons of it on a football day and it’s not just people buying it to have with their fish and chips or sausage and chips, we get people who come and buy pots of curry sauce to go with whatever they are cooking at home. It’s got so much more flavour than a regular curry sauce and a nice warmth to it.”

The couple now open only on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and on Saturdays when Grimsby Town are playing at home, a decision that was taken after finding Saturday trade unpredictable. “We tried shutting for a few Saturdays as an experiment. Within a month, we were taking as much in three days as we were in four so we we’re able to cut our costs and get an extra day off ourselves – it was a win-win.”

Kerry Foodservice 0800 138 1938  https://eu.kerryfoodservice.com/