Rules and regulations
There are no specific rules and regulations relating to fish and chips but there's a raft of health and safety legislation which governs all premises on which food is prepared.
“Rather than waiting for the environmental health inspectors to arrive, invite them in to inspect the premises before you start kitting it out,” advises David Beedle who runs four shops in County Durham.
“They appreciate coming in first and it means you get the right advice about where to put your sinks before rather than after you’ve fitted them, which is obviously preferable.”
In terms of structured training, the NFFF offers a three-day course covering everything from the implications of taking on a fish and chip business through to the practical side of actually portioning, preparing and frying fish and chips.
Although there is no legal requirement for this kind of training, the course is particularly worthwhile- as it covers all food safety legislation and offers a 12 month free membership to give you continued access to this advice.
Day to day, those that appreciate the cleanliness of your premises will be your customers. Joyce Willoughby maintains that “customers are far more aware of hygiene than in the past. The counter has to be kept spotless at all times and we purposely have an open kitchen so customers can see what’s going on. We get plenty of complimentary comments about the cleaning – although it’s no more than I would expect.”
So clearly the key is to set your own high standards, even before you start trading.