The Frying Yorkshireman in Gargrave, North Yorkshire, has smashed sales records since installing a new Kiremko frying range – and staff haven’t broken a sweat.
Owner Mark McManus inherited a 17-year-old Kiremko range when he bought the takeaway and 24-seater restaurant in 2019. Back then, the shop had little reputation, but Mark, who had previously tripled turnover whilst the manager of The Fisherman in nearby Settle, was confident he could turn it around.
For five years, he pushed through with the ageing two-pan range, but as business grew, it could no longer keep up. “It did well to do what it did, but we went from taking £1,100 a day to £3,500 on a Friday and the range started to struggle,” says Mark. “We couldn’t get enough chips in the pans and were struggling to maintain quality. You want the food to be just as good when you’re busy as when you’re quiet.”
To cope, they resorted to blanching trays of chips and using small electric fryers for scampi and other items, which compromised consistency and added to the workload.
In January, Mark upgraded to a new Kiremko counter range with two chip pans and a one-meter-wide fish pan. The difference was immediate. “You wouldn’t believe the change,” says Mark. “We don’t need to blanch chips anymore or rely on those little electric fryers. The new range handles it all.”
The benefits became clear on Good Friday. “We broke our record by at least 40%, and we didn’t break a sweat. It’s me who finds it hard now — not the range. Before, I used to dread Fridays as they were such hard work and, as a business owner, that’s not right. I should be excited, I should want to make money. Now, I come in with a spring in my step and a smile on my face because I know whatever comes at us we can handle.”
The range’s speed and consistency have also transformed service times. “We get coach parties and walkers come in and if someone ordered six large chips that used to put us back half an hour. Now we drop the baskets and eight minutes later, they’re served.”
Mark is particularly impressed with the range’s recovery time and performance under pressure. “No matter how busy we are, the temperature doesn’t drop. It’s constant quality, every time.”
Beyond efficiency, the upgrade has brought peace of mind. “I was starting to worry, what if a pan went down in May or June? That could wipe out our summer trade. Now I’ve got peace of mind knowing that I’ve got a new piece of quality workmanship that is going to be reliable for the next 10 to 15 years.”
Mark admits he hesitated over the investment at first, but weighed it up against the difference it would make to business. “The range has already started to pay for itself in more ways than one. Better quality brings in more customers and more trade. If you’re planning to keep a shop for 5, 10, 15 years, a new Kiremko will more than pay for itself.”
Click here to read how The Real Food Cafe in the Scottish Highlands is catering for coeliac customers thanks to a dedicated gluten free pan on its Kiremko frying range.