Advice for setting up a fish and chip shop- Part 2

Buying chip shop equipment and choosing a chip shop supplier

There are numerous suppliers in the UK that sell and install the fryers and other equipment needed for fish and chip shops. Always look to get a couple of quotes and ask for references. It may be that you have experience in certain types of equipment, that is always helpful.

You then need to decide on whether you buy new equipment or reconditioned ranges of fish and chip shop equipment and counters? There are benefits to both options.

There is a list of suppliers on the National Federation of Fish Friers website. We are also more than happy to recommend companies to you.

It is important to choose the correct company. You will need to think about maintenance, installation, training and ongoing support. If the supplier charges a lot for ongoing maintenance, they may not be the best solution even though their upfront costs are cheaper.

Please read our blog on “Choosing the best supplier of fish and chip shop equipment” for more information.

Training

Many suppliers offer training as does the National Federation of Fish Friers. However, do not just think about training on how to fry fish. Training and advice in customer service is highly important. All too often, a shop will recruit a young 18 year old and not give them proper training on how to deal with customers. You might produce the best fish and chips in the world, but if the person serving is not polite, keen and efficient, then you will lose customers quicker than you find them.

Read more information in our guide “Providing the Best customer service in a fish and chip shop.”

Health and Safety

There are strict laws here. You will need to have a trained Fire Warden and must be legal with regards to fire extinguishers, fire alarms etc. Without this, you will be shut down by the local Council and potentially personally liable. To give you an idea, we trained five fire wardens for £150.00, the company even came to our office to do the training.

The same applies for trained first aiders. There are many organisations like St Johns Ambulance that undertake first aid courses. This is another legal requirement. It will take between ½ a day and a day to complete and will often cost less than £150.00 per person. Time and money well spent.

Take a look at our other guides that will make a difference between success and failure of your fish and chip shop.

A Limited company, sole trader or partnership?

This choice is down to you and we would always recommend that you speak to an accountant. Clearly the benefit of being a limited company is that if the business did not work out, you are not personally liable (unless you sign personal guarantees which will often be the case.)

For sole traders and partnerships, the rules on filing accounting information are a lot less stringent and there may be tax benefits as well.

Our team are on hand to help out with any questions you have. Please just call 01494 611 456 or email [email protected] for more information.

Thank you for your interest, good luck with your new business.