Cromars is extending its reach beyond St Andrews, Fife, thanks to a 20ft shipping container
For years, Wendy Napthine Frame had talked herself out of expanding Cromars beyond its St Andrews base, not because the demand wasn’t there, but because she knew the risk of stretching herself too thin. Running an award-winning fish and chip shop that trades on consistency, quality and reputation leaves little room for distraction, and until recently, the business depended entirely on her being present.
“I’d wanted to do something else for a long time,” says Wendy, who opened Cromars in 2013. “But when you’re running something solely, you can’t dilute yourself. My main focus has always been St Andrews.”
That changed last year, however, when Wendy employed a manager – a decision she had been considering for some time, but only felt comfortable making once the right person appeared. “I’d been looking and looking,” she says. “It had to be someone who really understood the business. Eventually, a gem came along who had been in the industry and who lived close by.”
With day-to-day operations in safe hands, the door opened for Cromars to grow in a way that didn’t compromise the core business. The result was a 20-foot shipping container, fully fitted as a scaled-down version of the St Andrews shop, allowing Cromars to operate at events, festivals and long-term pop-ups. “It allowed the business to grow into what it deserves without me taking my eye off the ball in St Andrews,” says Wendy.
The decision to go down the container route rather than a van or truck was practical and based purely on space. “We needed room,” she says. “I wanted to replicate exactly what we do at the shop because Cromars has such a good reputation for quality, and we couldn’t do that in a van.”
Built by a local fabricators in nearby Errol, the container was designed to feel like Cromars, even down to the same frying range. However, there are downsides to operating a container, mainly the fact it needs to be moved by hi-ab, making it unsuitable for short, one-night events. But for longer runs, the model works well. “At Christmas, we were at the Glasgow markets for six weeks,” Wendy says. “That’s perfect for a container. If it was a university event for one night, it wouldn’t be.”
The first outing came in the summer via Innis & Gunn, the lager Cromars serves. As their events programme expanded, they invited Cromars to their festival in Stockbridge. From there, it was stored back at the fabricators until it moved on to Glasgow. “We only had four weeks’ notice for Glasgow, so it was a quick turnaround,” says Wendy.
Menus at events are kept deliberately tight. “We learned very early on that we had to keep it simple,” says Wendy “Fish and chips, loaded chips, scampi, pigs and blankets – four things. People are drinking, they want food they can pick at, and it means our staff don’t get in a muddle.”
Demand has been strong, helped by good positioning and brand recognition. “People see us out and about and say, ‘Is this Cromars from St Andrews?’ and the answer is yes – it’s an arm of our core business.”
When the container isn’t in use, it’s stored back at the fabricators while Wendy plans the calendar ahead. Future bookings already look positive with the Royal Highland Show, hopefully the Scottish Open, the Edinburgh Festival and a request from a nearby caravan and lodge park to base the container on-site for six months. “They asked their residents what food vendor they wanted and everyone said fish and chips.”
Asked whether she’d rather open a second shop, Wendy is pragmatic. “Rent and rates are so high,” she says. “Whether you’re busy or not, those costs are there. Plus, St Andrews is a gem – it would be hard to replicate.”
Moving to a container is the latest in a long line of decisions Wendy has made about the business since taking full control in 2018. “I’ve been involved in the business since it opened in 2013, but it was 2018 when I came onboard fill time, just before Covid. I saw that as my opportunity to tailor the business to work for me,” she says. “I closed the 26-cover restaurant and turned it into purely takeaway, with optional seating inside and out.”
It was a decision driven by necessity, but one that ultimately strengthened the business. “It was nerve-wracking at first,” admits Wendy but it’s been the right thing to do as there’s no crockery, no KP, no big food bins. And nobody complained, customers got it straight away and were happy.”
The experience reinforced a lesson that now defines Cromars – to do fewer things, better. “My focus is customer service and giving people an experience,” says Wendy. “Top quality fish, top quality chips, nice crispy batter. That’s our signature.”
That signature comes as a meal comprising haddock, chips and an Innis & Gunn lager priced at £18.80, although an upsell of mushy peas and homemade tartare sauce takes it to just under £22. “That’s what we suggest to people because we know that whole package is just fantastic,” Wendy says. “I would say about 80% of what we sell is that.”
The approach earned Cromars Best Menu at the Scottish Fish and Chip Awards, a win Wendy attributes to restraint rather than variety. “It’s about knowing what not to do as much as what to do,” she says.
Not every idea has proved successful. Breakfast service, trialled recently, was quietly dropped. “It just didn’t take off,” Wendy says. “We run a tight team and we open from 11.30am until about 9pm, that’s the St Andrews consumer. Opening at eight for breakfast stretched everyone too far. It was a prime example of sticking with what works.”
One incident that had a more positive impact on the business last year was a visit from American pop star Justin Bieber and his entourage. “He ordered five fish suppers and five beers, took a selfie at our big window and posted it,” says Wendy.
The post sent footfall soaring, prompting the team to temporarily rename their signature dish the “Bieber Special”. “People came in just to take photos where he stood,” Wendy says. “It was great for trade, but you can’t rely on moments like that.”
More intentionally successful has been Cromar’s dog menu, introduced after Wendy noticed more and more four-legged friends sitting patiently outside the shop. “We get a lot of dog walkers and the dogs would be staring at their owners with big wide eyes,” she says. “It felt wrong not to do something.” She implemented a doggy menu of sausages, sardines, and puppuccinos with half of the proceeds going to the SSPCA, which raised around £1,300 last year.
Fish prices
Rising fish prices have been the toughest challenge of the past year and as such Cromars has increased the price of its fish supper from £12.95 to £13.50 and to £14.80, something Wendy says she would normally avoid. “We’d never do that many price increases,” she says. “But fish prices kept going up so we had to otherwise we’d be operating at a loss.”
Despite initial fears, customers have largely accepted it. “Nobody really says anything,” she says. “People understand quality. And if they do question it, I say take it, eat it and tell me afterwards if it was worth it. Everyone comes back and says, ‘yes it was absolutely worth it’.”
Wendy refuses to compromise on ingredients, sticking with haddock and resisting cheaper alternatives or diversification. She learned her lesson during Covid when she removed cod from the menu when prices became untenable. “It simplified everything,” she says. “So now we stick with our quality haddock and ride with it.”
Although this winter Wendy has noticed signs of customers cutting back with a quieter December, she remains optimistic. “We’ve got a system that works,” she says. “We know now not to overcomplicate things. And the great thing about fish and chips, is it’s not fine dining. It’s one of those things people still say, ‘Let’s go get a chippy’.”
