#223: Grit, Growth, and Great Fish & Chips with Nigel Hodgson

What does it take to build one of the UK’s most respected fish and chip shops from scratch? According to Nigel Hodgson of Hodgsons Chippy in Lancaster, it’s not glamour, funding, or luck. It’s discipline, detail, and relentless graft.

In Episode 223 of The Ceres Podcast, host Mark Petrou invites long-time friend and fellow industry heavyweight Nigel for a deeply personal and practical conversation. The result is a masterclass in how to run a successful food business—not by scaling, but by perfecting what’s already in front of you.

Doing Things Properly, From Day One

From the start, it’s clear that Nigel’s story is grounded in resilience. Raised in a single-parent household in a rural village, he speaks honestly about selling dinner vouchers to afford football boots and starting work in a chip shop at 14. By 18, he was frying full-time and living alone.

These formative experiences shaped not just his work ethic but his insistence on consistency. As he explains, “I prefer to do things right. I can’t abide cutting corners.” That ethos flows through every aspect of his business today—from the layout of his kitchen to the yield from each fish slab.

Nigel doesn’t just value quality. He systemises it. And that’s what makes his story so relevant to modern operators.

More Than Awards—It’s About Practice

Within two years Nigel won Young Fish Frier of the Year. Five years later, he took home the industry’s highest honour: Fish & Chip Shop of the Year. Trade surged by 40%, but what stands out in this episode is how prepared they were to handle it.

They’d already invested in kitchen extensions, streamlined their prep room, and fine-tuned their processes. “I like the shop to run at a calm, steady pace,” Nigel says, “so staff can do their best work without chaos.”

That phrase—without chaos—sums up Nigel’s whole approach. It’s not about gimmicks, fancy menus, or chasing trends. It’s about doing simple things with precision, every time.

Prospect Street isn’t on a main road. It’s not flashy. But it’s a textbook example of how structure and standards can turn a local chippy into a nationally respected name.

Training as a Business Strategy

Rather than open multiple sites, Nigel turned his attention to training. As a founding trainer at the KFE School of Frying Excellence and now a Frymax Ambassador, he’s spent the last 15 years sharing his systems, techniques, and mindset with others.

Whether he’s training new starters or high-level operators like Ross and Tiffany from Fish Works in Largs, the goal is the same: maximise consistency, reduce waste, and build sustainable habits.

“You can’t run a great shop without protecting your margins,” he says. “That comes from training—on fish yields, oil management, batter consistency, everything.”

For Nigel, training isn’t a bolt-on. It’s the backbone of long-term profitability.

The Hard Parts: Grief, Growth, and Letting Go

The episode takes a more emotional turn when Nigel opens up about losing his sister Tina earlier this year. It’s a moment of raw honesty, handled with sensitivity by Mark, and it reminds us that behind every business owner is a human being with real highs and devastating lows.

He also reflects on his family’s journey—how he and Linda once gave up their dream home to live above the shop with their kids, how they grew it into something stable, and how they now have children and grandchildren carving out their paths.

Despite all this, he shows no signs of slowing down.

“I’m 53, but I still love what I do. I run. I train. I teach. I get to help people every week.”

The Industry Now—And What Comes Next

Nigel doesn’t sugar-coat the current climate. Margins are tighter. Customers are more demanding. And too many shops are closing because they’ve failed to adapt.

But for those who are willing to train staff, invest in better systems, and shout about what they do well, there’s plenty of room to grow.

“We’re not the cheapest meal on the high street,” he says, “but if you’re doing things properly—light portions, strong value, quality ingredients—people will come back.”

He still believes fish and chips have a strong future. Just maybe not for everyone.

“Some shops will fall off. But the ones that take pride in what they do? They’ll keep thriving.”

Why This Episode Matters

Episode 223 isn’t just about one man’s rise in the industry. It’s about what happens when you decide to do things well, every day, without fail. It’s about taking your lumps early, staying the course, and creating something you’re proud to hand over one day.

Nigel Hodgson didn’t build an empire. He built a benchmark.

If you want to understand what doing it properly really looks like, listen to this episode.

Listen Now

Episode 223 of The Ceres Podcast is available now. Whether you’re a new operator, an award-winner, or somewhere in between, you’ll find something in Nigel’s journey that reminds you why this trade matters.

Subscribe to The Ceres Podcast wherever you listen, and learn from the people shaping the future of fish and chips—one portion at a time.