Garioch Fish Bar in Inverurie, Aberdeen, is getting better and busier thanks to the keen eye of 25-year-old frier Glen Morrison
Growing up, my dad had three fish and chip shops and a fish wholesale company, so I have been involved with fish and chips for as long as I can remember. I started with a fresh fish run every Friday when I was 13, which made me a couple hundred pounds each week. I went on to study Business at college, which helped my understanding of every aspect of running a business.
In 2019, my dad slipped playing golf and broke three ribs. None of the back-up friers could cover for him, so I got thrown in at the deep end on a Friday night with only one hour of proper training! And then, I fell in love with it. Now I manage the shop alongside my dad, and we have picked up various awards. We’re on an upward, successful journey now and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it.
When I first started at Garioch Fish Bar, however, there were things that weren’t really best practice. I think my dad was so busy running it all himself and sorting staff etc., that he didn’t have time to take a step back and look at different aspects as a whole. Since pointing this out, we’ve never stopped improving and looking at ways we can be better from big things to tiny details because it all matters. Every year, we get busier and that’s because we’re getting better due to the improvements.
One of the first things I did to improve the business was ask Gordon Hillan from KFE to spend a day with me. I really just wanted constructive criticism for the shop as a whole, and we got absolutely roasted! I also took trips to other shops to see how they operated. One that really impressed me was the Fish Hoose in Kirkcaldy, owned by Colin Cromar at the time. Everything was done with precision, and the premises were immaculately clean.
Last year, I entered Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year for the first time and I got to the last four, which I was super proud of. In the process, the last six finalists were invited to KFE’s training school in Peterborough for two days where I got to meet well-known faces like Calum Richardson, John Molnar, Mark Drummond and Charlie Collins for the first time. They are all at the top of their game so networking and spending a whole day with them is something that will help me indefinitely. If you are a young frier, you should enter because even if you don’t win, it will motivate you and make you aim higher.
With everything I’ve learned over the past few years, I’ve been able to train up two staff members and even pass on a couple of tips to my dad who has been frying for over 25 years!
There are still plenty of areas I would like to focus on: staff training, brand image and social media/marketing. And once I’ve hit a stage where I feel happy with how every process is done, who knows? I wouldn’t mind opening a few more shops.
