Progressing to head frier at Squire’s in Braunton, Devon, has given 23-year-old Sebastian Harding-Crook confidence, financial stability and a passion for the industry
If you had told me six years ago that I’d be a head frier at Squires Fish and Chip Restaurant and competing in the top four of the Drywite Young Fish Frier Competition, I wouldn’t have believed you. When I first started, I wasn’t sure about the job, but now I see how much this industry has given me, and that is why I want other young people to see it as a career worth considering.
Like many 18-year-olds, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I finished school. My sister had started working at Squires, and she got me a job there in June 2019. At the time, I was planning to go to university to study geography, but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure. I had handed in my notice to leave for university, but then I decided last minute to go travelling instead. That plan was quickly put on hold when Covid came around. Suddenly, I found myself in the fish and chip industry for the long run – and that’s when I fell in love with it and the whole process of making fish and chips.
I started as a young frier and I always looked up to the head frier at the time, who was running the whole operation. I thought, I want to be that guy, and so I spoke to the owner, Mike Squire. I worked hard to develop my skills and when the previous head frier left in May 2020, Mike gave me the opportunity to step up. By May 2021, I officially became head frier.
That was a big step because being head frier isn’t just about frying fish, it’s about quality control, making sure every portion meets our high standards, and ensuring that customers get the best experience possible. Having that responsibility has helped me grow as a person. I was really shy when I started, but in this role I have to communicate constantly with my team. Over time, I have become more confident and that has helped me in all areas of my life.
Already the industry has given me opportunities I never expected. I’ve been to Amsterdam to learn about KFE’s frying ranges and travelled to Leeds to meet other young friers and industry leaders. Looking back at myself in 2019, I never would have had the confidence to do any of that.
I entered the Drywite Young Fish Frier Competition not just to challenge myself, but to show other young people that this industry can be a career. Thanks to this job, I’ve been able to afford a car, and I’m currently looking to buy my first house. That’s something I never expected to be able to do at my age. It’s been transformational and I have always been very grateful to Mike and Cherry Squire for that. That’s what I want to get across to young people: you might leave school at 18 and not know what you want to do, but that’s OK, you can take it slow. You’ll get there in the end.
I’m definitely going to enter the Young Fish Frier Competition again next year, now that I know what to expect. I also want to get more involved in the industry and look at what we can do to support one another through times like these when fish, potato and other ingredients are going up in price substantially.
