Young Torquay entrepreneur revives Paignton chippy

After two and a half years lying dormant, a Preston fish and chip shop is frying high once more after a 21-year-old Torquay man made the leap and took over the business.

Dressed up in the colours of Torquay United, The Chippy on Seaway Road is only a stone’s throw from the beach and is looking to make a big impact this summer. 

While The Chippy may be 21-year-old Josh Phillips’s first business venture, he’s no stranger to the business of fish and chips. 

“Standing here feels good, but I’ve worked for this for seven years,” said Josh. 

“I started off doing potatoes every weekend and I’ve worked my way up and up. I finally got to the point where I was managing a shop in Torquay. I left there last March and decided to take this place in September.

“It’s not a lot different, it’s just I’m doing it for myself now. I get to make the decisions but then if it all goes wrong, I’m the one in the frame for it.”

In Torbay, competition is stiff among the producers of the nation’s favourite dish. For the Chippy to prosper, Josh knew he would have to set his product apart. 

Josh said: “Because fish and chips are so simple, the devil's in the detail. We decided to make everything top of the rage and fresh. Nothing gets stacked up in the fryers and it’s all cooked to order, made fresh every day.

“People expect to walk in, grab it and walk off, but that’s not how we do it because the quality comes down. 

“We make the batter by hand every day, the cod comes from the Faroe Islands and we spend extra to get the best possible potatoes. 

“So far we’ve been shocked by the response. Our methods clearly make a difference.”

However, it’s not all plain sailing. Josh faces similar pressures that all businesses are facing right now. With the prices of fish and potatoes remaining high, pricing and profit margins are a balancing act. 

Josh said: “Good quality cod is not cheap and the bad weather’s putting up the price of potatoes. Farmers can’t harvest their potatoes when the grounds this wet, and that issue puts costs up for us.

“However, we try to keep the prices as affordable as possible, so people can still enjoy it.”

Fully repainted and refurbished, Josh is hoping that the Chippy’s first summer is one to remember. He continued: “We haven’t been open for a summer yet, so we’re excited to see how business goes. But it’s a great opportunity and a great area. I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.”

“No pressure,” added Joanne Phillips, Josh's mum.