Expert Eye: Ryan Hughes, Ship Deck, Caerphilly, South Wales

Prepare for the increase in trade now, says Ryan as he looks to hand his trophy over to the next Fish & Chip Takeaway of the Year winner

This year has been completely different business-wise. On paper, we’ve always been a busy shop, but 2024 saw an instant doubling in sales. The volume hasn’t dropped until now, but even now we’re not as quiet compared to previous Januarys. 

It’s been really enjoyable for the team while, for the business, I feel like winning Fish & Chip Takeaway of the Year has really future-proofed it. It highlighted areas we could improve upon, which has made it an easier operation to run.

When we last spoke, I mentioned plans for a shop refit. My idea was to add a wet room and a storage area on the side of the building, transforming the shop into one massive serving space with a wall frying range. That plan was supposed to kick off this January, but I’ve decided to approach it cautiously. With rising costs, I don’t want to invest a couple hundred thousand pounds only to find myself with a six pan range but using just three pans if trade slows down due to increased prices. For now, I’m monitoring trade patterns. If business remains steady and the need for the refit is still there mid-year, I’ll go ahead with it. Don’t get me wrong, customers are still in and out the door quickly. They still get the quality and the customer service, but for us as a team, it could be made a lot more simple just by redesigning the shop.

As for what’s coming in April regarding rising NICs and the minimum wage, I try not to dwell on potential challenges because it just leads to stress, and stress distracts me from enjoying my work. I’m more of a take-each-day-as-it-comes person, plus, with modern EPOS systems, you can track your margins, spot trends and make adjustments when needed. I’m all about making decisions based on what’s in front of me rather than worrying about the unknown.

My advice to the Top 10 shops in the Fish & Chip Takeaway category, waiting for the awards next month, is to prepare for the increase in trade now, make sure your quality doesn’t suffer and look after your regulars. With a massive increase in trade, it’s easy to lose focus. And if there’s even a small issue in your operation, correct it now. For instance, if your margin on your fish isn’t where it needs to be now, when you’re selling three or four times more of it because you’ve won, that will quickly become a major problem.

On a personal level, I’ve stepped into a new role as a director for The NFFF. It’s great to give back to the industry, share what I’ve learned, and help others. Because of the changes I’ve made, the business is strong and doesn’t rely on me day-to-day, which gives me more time for family and industry work. That’s a big shift from when I was a control freak, wanting to handle everything myself. Delegating responsibilities to managers and supervisors has made a huge difference.

Looking back, it’s been an incredible year. I keep using the word future-proofing but it’s true. It’s allowed me to step back, build a stronger team, and focus on what’s next.