Success for The Scallop Shell

At a time when many hospitality operators are feeling the squeeze, The Scallop Shell (listen to Garry on the Ceres Podcast) seems to be bucking the trend. Owner Garry Rosser says fellow restaurateurs in Bath are reporting trade down by as much as 20-25% compared to last year, but at The Scallop Shell, the story is very different.

For Garry, the reasons are simple – specialisation, consistency and quality. “The restaurants that do really well in Bath are the ones that specialise,” he explains. “We specialise in fish and we’ve built a great reputation in the city. Even though we’ve had to increase prices, customers still see us as really good value compared to most restaurants in Bath.”

Priced at £24 for North Atlantic cod loin with chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce, The Scallop Shell also offers a broad range of species including hake, pollock and monkfish, alongside shellfish and grilled fish dishes. Despite the wider choice available and rising cod prices, Garry says cod sales are stronger than ever.

“We’ve never deviated from quality,” he says. “We always use really good quality Icelandic 16-32oz cod and we always cut from the loin, so customers get that massive piece of fish every time. People know what they’re going to get when they come here, and it’s why they come here.”

That consistency has become one of the restaurant’s biggest strengths during a difficult time for hospitality, although Garry admits margins have had to tighten in order to keep the restaurant busy. “Sometimes we win, sometimes we don’t,” he says. “At the moment, you just have to absorb some of the increases where you can and make sure the restaurant stays busy.”

Consistency is one of the reasons The Scallop Shell has worked with Ceres for more than 13 years. “When you find good suppliers, there’s mutual respect and you work together,” Garry says. “Ceres products give us quality, they’re consistent and they work well. We love them.”

One product that Garry has never deviated from is Ceres Natural Batter Mix, which achieves the same finish every single service. “In restaurants and fish and chip shops, quality and consistency are everything,” he explains. “With consistency, you build a reputation because customers know exactly what they’re going to get when they walk through the door. The moment you start changing things or becoming too price-driven, you risk upsetting that consistency.”

At The Scallop Shell, batter is made fresh daily, combined with lager and left to rest for 24 hours to allow the raising agents to develop properly. “It gives us the lift we want while keeping the batter flatter and crisp,” says Garry. “We never compromise on quality and I know Ceres doesn’t either.”

Another product that has had a significant impact on the business is Ceres Curry Sauce Mix. While Garry admits chefs can sometimes be sceptical of prepared products, practicality and consistency ultimately won him over.

“As a chef, I’d normally always want to make things from scratch,” he says. “But making curry sauce was taking us around two hours from start to finish. With the Ceres Curry Sauce, it takes 10 minutes and it’s a really good sauce. It’s thick, full of flavour and made with real ingredients. It just didn’t make sense for us to make our own anymore.”

For a busy restaurant operation, switching to a prep-prepared product has resulted in time and labour savings. “We’re very busy, so time is everything,” Garry explains. “The curry sauce helped reduce the process, freeing staff up to focus on other things. There’s also a labour saving too, everyone can appreciate how high labour costs are at the moment. And I know every time I open that box, it’s going to be consistent, so it’s something I don’t have to think about.”

At The Scallop Shell, curry sauce is on the menu for a healthy £3.50, but Garry insists profitability is not the main reason it’s there. “It’s about added value and giving customers something really beautiful to dip their chips into,” he adds.

Garry also believes Ceres plays a key role in supporting the fish and chip industry, adding: “What I like about Ceres is that they genuinely care about the industry and are trying to make life easier for operators. Not everyone has the skills or time to make everything from scratch, but the Ceres products help businesses stay consistent and strong. That strengthens the whole industry.”

After nearly 20 years in the trade, Garry believes long-term success is built on trust, both with customers and suppliers. “When you find a product you believe in and a supplier you trust, you stick with them,” he says. “Over time, you build relationships, consistency and respect together. That’s incredibly important in this industry.”