​Towngate Fisheries: The Secret to Bradford's Best Fish & Chips

Towngate Fisheries in Idle, Bradford, is a small but busy fish and chip takeaway that thrives on its strong customer service. Manager Joanne Newman believes this sets it apart from the four other chip shops in the area.

"We're all friendly and smiley," Joanne says, emphasising the importance of making customers feel at home. The shop has built a loyal customer base, which is reasonably busy in the early part of the week but "chaos busy", says Joanne, on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

One of the key factors behind Towngate's success is the personal touch. With an open-plan layout, customers can see every aspect of food preparation, from cutting fish and making batter to cooking mushy peas, curry sauce and gravy.

"It's important for the customers to see it's clean, it's tidy, and that everything is done properly," Joanne says, adding that this openness builds trust. "It's important for people to see that their food is made fresh - it's not just a case of turn up and everything is ready."

Joanne, who started working for owner Mark Drummond 22 years ago as a counter assistant at another of his shops, was a finalist in the Employee of the Year category at the 2024 National Fish & Chip Awards, though she remains humble about her achievement. "I'm just doing my job. I don't feel like I'm doing anything extraordinary," she admits, though the judges praised her for going above and beyond for customers by doing things like picking up prescriptions and delivering shopping.

Towngate's strong reputation extends beyond its customer service. Earlier this year, the takeaway won Best Fish and Chip Shop in Bradford in a competition organised by the local paper, a title earned through customer votes. "It's nice when customers come in and say, 'I voted for you','" Joanne shares. "It shows they think about us even after they have walked out the door."

As manager, a key part of Joanne's role involves working closely with Mark to decide which products to use. Joanne values their collaborative process, which allows them to ensure they are making the best choices for the shop. "Mark used to do this solely on his own, but now we discuss the different products we're using," she says. "It's nice to have that backwards and forwards and that second opinion when you're thinking, will this work, will it not work?"

One example is choosing Ceres products, including its Mushy Peas Seasoning, Curry Sauce, Gravy and Ceres Degreaser. Mushy Pea Seasoning, in particular, has brought consistency to their mushy peas. The ability to replicate the same flavour and appearance every time is crucial for customer satisfaction.

"You can't add too much colouring or too little salt to the mushy peas now because it's just one product we use. Our mushy peas have never been as consistent as they are now. Before, they might be much greener one day and a bit grey another, and that's just not right. We want to give our customers the same experience each time."

Another product that has made a noticeable impact is Ceres Curry Sauce, which has attracted new customers. "We get a lot of customers saying they buy our curry sauce because it is so full of flavour compared to other chip shop curry sauces. We also have a customer who is gluten intolerant and has been coming in for years, buying poached fish and chips. Now he comes in three times a week because the curry sauce is gluten free," Joanne says proudly.

Comparing the rich and beefy flavour of Ceres Gravy Mix to something you could put on your roast dinner, Joanne has noticed a significant increase in sales since switching. "It's profitable and it pushes up the average sale. Trying to maximise a sale is so important, especially at the moment."

With Mark insisting that nothing is carried over to the next day, Joanne appreciates how easy it is for staff to prepare fresh batches of curry sauce and gravy as needed. "We make everything fresh daily for consistency. We don't like reheating anything, so the fact that Ceres Gravy and Curry Sauce can be quickly prepared by anyone at any time is a real benefit. It reinforces to our customers that everything is made fresh," Joanne explains.

Joanne also credits Ceres Degreaser for helping keep the shop spotless. "I love it; I call it magic powder," she laughs, explaining how it makes cleaning a satisfying task. "It's versatile, and it works for everything. We use it on the floor to neutralise any smells on our plastic trays and to remove stubborn grease on the top of the range and the bottom of the chip box. It saves having to buy and stock multiple cleaning products."

Buying in bulk every few months directly from the Ceres Shop, Joanne appreciates the ease of ordering online and the stock availability. "It's so easy, and rather than ordering from a third party, it comes directly to us, and we know what we are receiving and when it will come. With some suppliers, if they've not got something in stock, you've got to use another product, which isn't ideal."

Mark and Joanne are always on the lookout for special offers, whether on Ceres' socials or through its weekly newsletter. "If there's a deal to be had, Mark will be sure to take full advantage of it," Joanne remarks.

As Towngate continues to evolve, adding new services like Uber Eats, updating their EPOS system, and adding a screen for the frier, Joanne remains passionate about her role. "I love my job," she says. "There's always something to learn whether it's from Mark, Ceres or the NFFF. As an industry, everyone is helpful. I've not come across anyone in this industry who hasn't wanted to help."