Quality on the coast

Coastline in Blyth, Northumberland, has replaced bought-in chicken with freshly prepared chicken, using the Roosters coating system from Middleton Foods

Since opening Coastline on the seafront in Blyth in 2001, Domenico Gregorio has seen both the town and his business change beyond recognition. What began as a former arcade intended to house a small ice cream parlour quickly evolved into a full fish and chip operation when he installed a frying range to make better use of the space.

The early days were difficult, he says, admitting to how he only made £57 in his first year, adding: “I used to jump in my ice cream van at 9pm and take more money in that.”

Those days are long gone, however. Today, Coastline employs 80 staff, operates seven days a week and has recently installed a new nine pan frying range to service the 200-seater restaurant and takeaway.

Domenico believes fish and chips have played a role in drawing people back to the seafront. “It gives them a reason to come to the beach for a walk and something to eat,” he says. “Fish and chips regenerated the area for sure.”

That focus on quality and reputation is what prompted Domenico to reassess his chicken offering and move on from selling pre-breaded, frozen products. “About six months ago, I decided it was time to bring chicken in line with our other products we make in-house, like our fishcakes and cheese patties. It was all about improving quality.”

Domenico now sources fresh chicken from a local butcher, portions it into fillets, nuggets and burgers, and coats them in Roosters Chick Dip to lock in flavour and moisture, followed by Roosters Breading for a crispy finish.

“It’s more laborious doing it this way, but the superior product we get far outweighs the effort involved,” he explains. “Rooster’s products are fantastic. They coat well, hold well, fry well, and give that proper crispy finish. Our fried chicken is so fresh and tender, it reminds me of my mum’s chicken milanese – she’s Italian and makes everything from scratch. It’s that good.”

Domenico draws a direct comparison now between his fish and his chicken offering, commenting: “Our chicken is now of the same quality as our fish. And if someone orders cod, I know what vessel that fish is from. Now I’ve got the same traceability with my chicken because we’re buying it fresh and preparing it ourselves.”

Sales of chicken have edged upwards since bringing it in-house, with Domenico saying customers have noticed the difference. “They’ll say the chicken burger was absolutely beautiful. That’s down to the Roosters products and the fact we’re breading it ourselves.”

Using many of Middletons fish and chip products, Domenico had no hesitation trying Roosters, adding: “Middletons is a company you can trust. I use their products across the board and I’ve never had any problems. I wouldn’t go anywhere else. The days of opening a packet of nuggets are gone. You need to approach it like the proper chicken shops and with Middletons’ Roosters range, shops like mine can do exactly that.”

Middleton Foods 01902 608122 www.middletonfoods.com