National Chip Week (2nd-9th October) is an opportunity for fish and chip shops to put chips firmly back in the spotlight, and award-winning operator Mark Petrou believes there are plenty of ways to add value for customers without adding significantly to costs.
“The whole idea is about adding value to the customer experience without adding a financial burden to the business,” says Mark.
One way to do that is to think differently about the ingredients already available. Trying a different potato variety or making use of less popular cuts of fish can help operators stand out while creating new sources of margin.
“I know one shop successfully using a chip that fries darker to give him a point of difference,” says Mark. “And he’s pairing it with things like cod cheeks and certain cuts of halibut, which give you premium products on your menu at a really good price. It’s about putting margin in where there wasn’t margin before.”
Promotions
National Chip Week can also be a reason to run a simple promotion. “Do a deal. Upgrade customers from standard chips to large when they buy fish that week, or give them a free side order with their chips. Do something that pulls people in,” he says. “There’s enough margin in chips for us to do deals on meals, and if it drives footfall and gets people eating chippy chips again, that’s a good thing.”
Loaded fries are another easy win says Mark, who recommends combinations that add value without requiring extra equipment or staff.
“My chicken curry is basically chip shop curry sauce with coconut milk and chicken added. You’ve got a really value-adding item on your menu without having to put an extra piece of equipment or an extra member of staff on. You can double the price of a portion of chips just by ladling that over your chips. It elevates it and makes it a different product.”
Mark also recommends giving customers a taste while they wait. “Don’t be afraid to give somebody half a pot of chicken curry with a few chips to dip in while they’re waiting. It will help drive sales.”
For operators looking to control costs, he suggests adding a mini fish and chips meal. “I’d rather sell lots of mini fish than a large fish. A large fish for me is a two-for-one offer that I don’t know I’m doing, because the customers is taking it home and splitting it.”
Change your chipper block
Another straightforward menu addition is fries. “Changing your chipper block so you can do fries as well as chips means you get more portions per sack. It’s a really easy thing to do. You can blanch your fries in advance and finish a portion at a time.”
And when it comes to service, Mark says basket frying can help shops keep pace without sacrificing quality. “Basket frying allows you to stay ahead of the queue and keep it moving. The important thing is don’t compromise on quality. With basket frying, you’re always turning out hot, fresh chips.”
For Mark, National Chip Week is about celebrating a product that remains at the heart of the nation’s takeaway culture, adding: “This is an opportunity to really sing about how iconic chips are, how affordable they are and how they’ve propped the nation up for over 150 years. Everybody loves chips. There’s a pub chip, there’s a frozen chip, but there’s only one chippy chip.”
For a selection of National Chip Week social media assets that you can download and use for free across your own channels, head over to the Friars Pride website or the Henry Colbeck website.