Frozen-at-sea Granit cod from Unique Seafoods has made a welcome comeback on the menu at The Chip Inn in Long Stratton, Norwich
Two months ago, Jamie Austin found himself in the fortunate position of being able to buy back the family fish and chip shop originally opened by his grandfather in 1978.
The Chip Inn, a takeaway and 20-seater restaurant, had been a family business for decades, run by Jamie’s dad and uncle, until it was sold six years ago to a local investor. Now, with the shop back in the Austin family, Jamie has been eager to reconnect with the trusted suppliers his family had worked with for many years – relationships that had come to an end during the previous ownership.
One of the first suppliers Jamie reconnected with was Unique Seafoods, which is back supplying the chippy with frozen-at-sea cod from one of the largest and most advanced boats of the Norwegian fishing fleet, Granit.
Jamie comments: “As soon as I knew I was taking the shop on, I was straight onto the phone to Unique, saying I want to come back. I’ve always had a great relationship with them and their Granit cod speaks for itself. It’s succulent, lovely and white when it’s fried, and it flakes in your mouth. It is everything you want from a piece of cod.”
Being a fish-focused shop, Chip Inn has built a reputation for selling more fish than chips, with cod being the top choice for most customers. Jamie buys 16-32oz skin-on fillets, explaining: “Going for the 16-32oz gives us a really good mixture of sizing for our menu. Plus, we’ve got a very big customer base that likes the flaky loin, so I can cut nice chunky bits for them.”
Over the years Jamie has come to rely on Granit cod for its consistency, adding: “I know I can take my fish out of the freezer, defrost it ready for the next day and the sizing is there for what my customers want. I know the yield I will get and that I will have very little wastage.”
As well as its superior quality, Jamie also sources Granit cod for its sustainability credentials, explaining: “The biggest question our customers ask is where our fish is caught, so when I tell them it is from a plentiful supply in Norwegian Waters , that it is sustainable and MSC certified, they are interested in knowing more. We’ve also got some customers who think fish and chips should still be this cheap takeaway. By educating them on the process fish go through just to get to me, they start to understand why it isn’t.”
Already seeing the benefits of switching back to Granit, Jamie adds: “Something that I’ve had drilled into me by my dad and my uncle is that if you look after your products, your products will look after you. And it’s true. Even in the last six weeks, since taking the shop back over and moving back onto Granit, my turnover has increased. That’s when you know you’ve done the right thing.”
Unique Seafoods 0203 260 3580 www.uniqueseafood.co.uk
