KFE welcomed some of the industry’s most promising young professionals as it hosted the Drywite Young Fish Frier Day, an event that combined skills development, hands-on learning and plenty of fun, on Monday 12th January.

Six of this year’s top ten Drywite Young Fish Frier contenders attended, alongside competition judges Nicky Lewis and Mark Drummond, with 2024 winner Jamie Russo also making a brief appearance.  The six included Abigail Barker of Millers, Kieran Bulpit of Donnington Fish & Chips, Amy Crombleholme from Hunters Fish & Chips, Matthew Faulkner from Cox at the Lighthouse, Jack Spencer of Queens Drive Fish & Chips, and Megan White of The Golden Fillet.

The event began on Sunday evening in Peterborough, with an informal team building session designed to break the ice, particularly for those meeting for the first time. Glow-in-the-dark crazy golf and interactive darts set the tone and encouraged friendly rivalry. Kieran Bulpit, Matthew Faulkner and KFE Chairman Paul Williams all tied for first place in the golf, although Paul proudly claimed himself the overall winner after his team triumphed in the darts!

Skills and ideas

The following day focused on skills and ideas, with award-winning trainers Mark Petrou and Gordon Hillan starting the morning with an interactive forum, inviting participants not only to ask questions but to contribute their own ideas. With the young friers ranging from owner-operators and multi-site employees to those working in independent shops, the discussion reflected a broad cross-section of the industry.

Conversations covered current challenges, including raw material volatility, seasonality of potatoes, oil management and cooking techniques. Mark Petrou comments: “I was very impressed. Not only did the group have a good understanding, but they had some really forward-thinking ideas on how they would tackle these challenges.”

The young friers then had the opportunity to put theory into practice using KFE’s equipment, including the Kiremko high efficiency frying range. The session demonstrated its versatility, showing it could handle far more than traditional fish and chips – everything from fries and roast potatoes to southern fried chicken. The Adieu grill was also put through its paces, cooking burgers, chicken and grilled fish.

The afternoon concluded with a team challenge. Split into blue (Jack, Matthew and Amy) and green (Kieran, Abigail and Megan), each team was given just one portion of cod and tasked with creating innovative menu concepts that could stretch yield and improve margins.

“It was a really fun challenge,” says Mark. “They had two hours, full use of the equipment, and free rein of the cupboard for essentials and both teams came up with fantastic ideas.”

These ranged from fish skewers and rice bowls to a spice bag, while one team even used ChatGPT to develop regionally-inspired dishes for the judges, including a battered haggis burger, paprika chips and a curry batter. The green team narrowly edged the win, thanks to stronger presentation and flair, though both impressed judges with creativity and commercial thinking.

Feel-good day

Commenting on the day, Mark added: “It was a really great atmosphere, a feel-good day where relationships were cemented and knowledge was shared. The industry is in good hands with this level of talent and any one of them would be deserving of the Drywite Young Fish Frier title.”

Tanya Henderson, Managing Director at KFE, added: “This year’s Drywite Young Fish Frier Day was particularly significant as KFE celebrates its 30th anniversary. Continuing our long-standing relationship with Drywite, which began in 2012, the day underlines our shared commitment to investing in people, strengthening relationships and supporting the future of the fish and chip industry.”