KFE on a Mission raises £20,000 for charity

KFE on a Mission has raised £20,000 for The Fishermen’s Mission after a three-day initiative that saw 10 award-winning operators visit fish and chip shops across England, Scotland and Wales.

In return for a donation, trainers worked half-day shifts in participating shops, offering support across areas including oil management, menu diversification, customer service, marketing, batter prep and grilling. Twenty shops took part, spanning locations from Dorchester and Bournemouth to Edinburgh and Anglesey.

It puts us well on track to reach our £30,000 charity target this year as part of our 30th anniversary celebrations.

Kieran Bulpit, owner of Donington Fish & Chips, welcomed Mark Petrou of Petrou Brothers into his takeaway in Donington, Spalding. He commented: “It’s been really valuable for the team. We covered everything from fat management and menu development to customer service, which will really help improve the overall experience for our customers.

“Normally, bringing in that level of expertise would cost close to £1,000, so to have someone with that experience working directly with the team is a huge benefit. It’s something that will have a lasting impact on the business.”

Calum Richardson, owner of The Bay Fish & Chips in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, visited three shops and helped one operator save £300 a week through improved oil management. He said: “It was really rewarding this year because the shops I went into genuinely needed the help. It wasn’t about introducing anything new, it was about putting simple systems and procedures in place – things that saved them money and made them more efficient almost immediately.

“A lot of these operators don’t have a strong network around them, so giving them that support and confidence was just as important. At the same time, it was all for a great cause, which made it even more worthwhile.”

Charity dinner

Following the shop visits, trainers gathered at The Crab & Lobster Fish Shack in Queensferry, Edinburgh, where owners Bryan and Jack Coghill hosted a charity dinner featuring canapés, fish and chips and sticky toffee pudding. Industry suppliers, shop owners, friends and colleagues attended, with an auction offering more than 20 prizes. These included a tonne of batter mix, tickets to the National Fish & Chip Awards, a batter mixer, places at the KFE School of Frying Excellence and a pallet of frying fat.

Commenting on taking part, Jack Coghill said: “It was brilliant to be part of KFE on a Mission, especially as The Crab & Lobster Fish Shack is only nine months old. It gave us a chance to showcase what we do and meet the cream of the crop of the fish and chip industry. It was also an opportunity to show our support for our fishermen who head out in all conditions, and without them, we wouldn’t have anything to sell.”

Thanking everyone who made KFE on a Mission possible, Tanya Henderson, Managing Director at KFE, added: “We are so grateful to those who gave their time to train, to the shops that donated, to our sponsors and the suppliers who contributed prizes.

“It was a fantastic three days where knowledge was shared, advice taken on board and new connections made, all of which strengthen the industry and help produce top quality fish and chips. And a special thank you to Bryan and the team at The Crab & Lobster Fish Shack for hosting such an excellent evening and bringing everything together. The food and hospitality were outstanding. Together we’ve raised an incredible amount and we look forward to building on this throughout the year, starting with our Annual Ball in May.”

With thanks to the following shop owners who embarked on the training on behalf of KFE: Stuart Devine, Gordon Hillan, Calum Richardson, Will Burrell, Stuart Fusco, Nigel Hodgson, Mark Petrou, Garry Rosser, Fred Capel and Kelly Barnes.

Congratulations to the following winners of our charity auction and thank you to all the suppliers who donated these fantastic prizes: