After seeing the results across his other fish and chip restaurants, Raymond Fusco has invested in a fourth Adieu grill, with the latest installation heading to Winking Willy’s in Scarborough
Having already introduced two Adieu grills at Quayside in Whitby and one at The Fish Box in Robin Hood’s Bay, the decision to invest in a fourth was an easy one, giving the busy 120-seater Winking Willy’s the opportunity to expand its menu while maintaining the speed and consistency needed during peak service.
“Fish and chips are our bread and butter, but not everybody wants fish and chips, especially later on at night or on a really hot day,” says Raymond. “Winking Willy’s is a big restaurant, so we’ve got to fill it, and to do that we’ve got to diversify.”
The new grill has allowed the restaurant to offer a broader range of freshly grilled dishes alongside its traditional fish and chips, including burgers, sea bass, salmon and vegetarian options such as halloumi salads. Fitted with two salamanders above the grill – making it the first of its kind in the UK – it has also made it possible to introduce dishes such as omelettes, finished with melted cheese.
“We can cook anything on the Adieu grill – whether it’s bacon and eggs for breakfast or grilled fish for lunch,” says Raymond. “We’re grilling our burgers now instead of deep frying them, which is so much better, and we can charge a bit more. The addition of the salamander enables us to take the menu a step further and melt cheese, toast burger buns or put a final crisp on dishes.”
Broader menu proves popular
That broader menu has already proved its worth elsewhere in the business. At The Fish Box, where many customers arrive after walking the coast, grilled fish has become an important part of the offering and continues to grow in popularity.
“The grilled fish has been really popular, more than I expected,” says Raymond. “Robin Hood’s Bay is flat out with grilling all day long. It depends where you are and the type of customer you’ve got, but it gives people an alternative, and with the price of cod still going up, that’s really important at the moment.”
For Raymond, however, the biggest advantage is how the cast iron, Swiss-made grill performs in a busy restaurant. “Because the cast iron plate is so thick, it doesn’t lose any heat, so you get a constant temperature and consistently cooked fish or burgers every time. It also means you don’t need to be a skilled chef to operate it, anyone can use the Adieu grill.”
The grills have also significantly reduced cleaning and maintenance compared with previous equipment. “The chrome grills we’ve used before were horrendous – we were forever cleaning them,” says Raymond. “With these, nothing sticks. You just wipe them over and you’re ready to go again, which is important for a busy site like this one as you can cook a burger and then put a piece of fish straight on. You don’t need much oil either – you can even cook an egg without it sticking. It’s the best grill I’ve used.”
The Winking Willy’s grill measures one meter wide and has been installed as a standalone unit to suit the kitchen layout, while other sites have built-in models integrated into the frying range.
Although adding another Adieu grill represents a significant investment, Raymond sees it as one that continues to pay back over the long term. “We’ve had our other Adieu grills for 12 to 15 years and they’re still as good as the day they went in. It’ll last 20 years, so you easily get your money back. For us, it’s a long-term investment.”