Andrew Irlam, owner of Charlie’s of Mobberley in Cheshire, invested in a Florigo island range for his new fish and chip shop which opened in September 2022. This venture into the industry came along when Andrew saw the chip shop he always visited with his family as a young boy was up for sale.
“It was the best fish and chip shop. When I saw it come on the market, I thought I’d buy it and see if I could get it back to how it used to be. Prior to this, I had zero experience in the industry but do own multiple businesses. Charlie’s is named after my youngest son and is very much a family affair with everyone joining forces to give Mobberley its fish and chip shop back.”
Andrew’s favourite part of running this new business is the people. “From staff to customer, you get a great satisfaction in making them happy with what you are offering,” he comments.
The shop and its equipment had not been touched since the very early ’80s and was no longer fit for purpose. Andrew knew that in today’s climate efficiency and productivity were key, so the new layout and equipment has been designed to cope with high capacity, whilst ensuring top quality.
When doing his research, Florigo was a name that kept coming up. Andrew is a firm believer that something worth doing is worth doing right and he knew he needed to invest in the fryer as it is the main piece of equipment at the heart of any fish and chip shop.
“The ability to customise the Florigo range from scratch was a big plus,” he says. “It meant when designing the new shop, it could accommodate my wishes: to cater for gluten free daily with a dedicated pan and to grow into the shop.
“Having just reopened, we have had large numbers through the door. The island range enables us to cope and cater for this effectively, ensuring a seamless transition between preparation and customer.
“The filtration system ensures we can manage our oil effectively, which means even on the busiest days our oil remains at its best. The aesthetic of the range is simply stunning. The mirrored glass, the lighting and overall design makes it the centrepiece of the shop.”
Looking to the future, Andrew wants to grow the business and says: “We have the means to make Charlies a success, but it won’t walk through the door so a consistent push for customer retention and new faces is what we have planned.”
Florigo 01527 592000 www.florigo.co.uk
