Fish and Chip Shop Business Plan Outline

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Fish & Chip Shop Business Plan Outline:

What is it?

There are few things more tempting than the smell of fish and chips. And it can be little coincidence that rosy childhood memories of seaside holidays, Friday teatimes and late suppers are more than often associated with the savoury treat.

So the idea of owning your own fish and chip shop will probably seem like a similarly alluring prospect. Don’t fall into the nostalgia trap, though, this isn’t last of the Summer Wine. The modern day takeaway has big competition so you need to put a lot in to get it right.

Get the winning formula, however, and you’ll soon be cashing in your chips.

Current market

In the past few years, there has been a pretender to the throne of Britain’s favourite takeaway - chicken tikka masala. However, all traditionalists can now breathe a sigh of relief; fish and chips is firmly back on top according to a survey by the British Potato Council.

Its place at the top isn’t down to traditional values. This market of independents has lead the field for much of the first 100 years of its history. Gradually the  has been faced with a large number of alternatives, from Chinese takeaways to burger vans.

Increasingly fish shops can’t just open when they please and customers will vote against poor quality with their feet. This isn’t consistent throughout the industry, however, so a good  will have its own very high standards.

Broadly, it’s about brighter, spotlessly clean shops, well-trained and pleasant staff, good economic practices – and most importantly a flawless product. Vinegar soaked newspaper  no longer meets customer expectations and when 70 to 80% of your business is repeat, this is very important.

And it’s important to make the most of the product you have. Arthur Parrington is the national training co-ordinator for the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF):

“There have always been a lot of poor quality fish and chip shops but if a shop is clean and bright with the right attitude it will hold its own. Fish and chip shops hide their light under a bushel, the fact is this is a healthier meal than either Indian or Chinese takeaway.”

Rules and regulations

There are no specific rules and regulations relating to fish and chips but there's a raft of health and safety legislation which governs all premises on which food is prepared.

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“Rather than waiting for the  inspectors to arrive, invite them in to inspect the premises before you start kitting it out,” advises David Beedle who runs four shops in County Durham.

“They appreciate coming in first and it means you get the right advice about where to put your sinks before rather than after you’ve fitted them, which is obviously preferable.”

The Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish) has a Quality Award for those businesses which operate at a consistently high standard. Again, says David Beedle, “they can triple check the quality of  before you start.”

In terms ...

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