Chip shop supplier boosts turnover

Sep 2 2009 by Karen Dent, The Journal

BRITAIN'S continued taste for fish and chips has helped a Tyneside company boost its turnover by £3m and resulted in a rise in profits of more than £56,000 despite the recession.

Henry Colbeck, which supplies 1,500 products to the trade ranging from cooking oil to bespoke packaging, says fish and chips’ image as a value for money meal helped it to increase turnover to £39.5m from £36.5m in the year to the end of March.

The just-published results also showed that pre-tax profits at the Team Valley-based company – the world’s biggest independent supplier to the industry – rose to £410,795 from £354,661 the previous year.

Marketing director Duncan McLean said: “Fish and chip shops are not at all recession-proof but there is an element of insulation. People will trade down because it is still regarded as an excellent value for money meal.

“You can still get fish and chips for two people for under £10.”

He pointed to the comparatively higher costs of other takeaways, such as Indian, Chinese and pizza, and praised modern fish and chips shops for reinventing themselves.

“The product is better and is better presented. Fish and chips is no longer seen as the down at heel option,” said Mr McLean. “A lot of the better fish and chip shops have invested extremely wisely in their businesses over the last few years.

“At Colmans on Ocean Road in South Sheilds, the owner, Richard Ord, in the last three or four years has been a UK food hero for Living TV, the BBC’s food and farming awards takeaway winner, and in 2008 was runner-up in the fish and chip shop of the year. It’s very high profile.”