Career Opportunities within the Fish and Chip Industry

Florigo clients are passionate about driving the fish and chip industry forward. Whether this means sourcing the best quality organic produce, or investing in a frying range that offers the latest technology in high efficiency and filtration to deliver the highest standards of fried food. Whatever you do to attain the perfect fish and chip experience for your customers, one key area you need to get right is staff.

In this industry,
high staff turnover can be a problem, particularly in coastal areas where huge influxes of summer visitors mean many roles are strictly seasonal. Some potential workers may also be put off by the misconception that all fish and chip shops are greasy, cramped corner shops selling unhealthy food. Those of us who fry at the highest level, of course, know this isn’t true but how can you get this message across to your prospective workforce?

From our wealth of experience in helping restaurant and takeaway owners to transform their businesses, here are our top tips to make working in a fish and chip shop an opportunity not to be missed.

• Design practical spaces – the key to making any role attractive is to provide a practical and functional area in which to work. If new recruits or potential team members visit your restaurant and see staff tripping over one another and getting in each other’s way because the space has not been properly designed to accommodate the flow of tasks they will be unlikely to want to stay. Changing the layout of your shop or restaurant can make the biggest difference to productivity – not to mention keeping queues short and improving the customer experience.
• Use only the highest quality equipment – it goes without saying that using the very best equipment to complement your high quality produce will result in a better end product. A Florigo frying range is designed to set your fish and chip shop apart, taking into account your space, menu and workflow. By demonstrating to staff the investment you have made in selecting the very best frying range, you will give them something to take pride in when preparing food.
• Listen to your employees – it is the people on the ground, preparing potatoes and fish for frying who really know what is going on. If staff are feeding back that there is not enough space for preparation or they are having to throw oil away too regularly – not only are they giving you vital information which can improve your overall customer experience but in listening to their thoughts you are making them feel a vital part of the team.
• Facilitate communication – working in the fish and chip industry is a very customer-focussed role and your staff should thrive on meeting, greeting and preparing food for your customers. To make it easier for them to achieve this and get the positive comments they need to keep them motivated, a Florigo range is now set lower, to enable better communication between your customers and staff.
• Make fish and chips part of the holiday experience – if you run a fish and chip restaurant in a coastal area your business is likely to be predominantly seasonal but this shouldn’t be off-putting to your employees. If you strive to make fish and chips a part of the ‘holiday experience’ for your customers, then chances are you will not only make them want to return next year but also your seasonal staff.
• Be flexible – if you own more than one fish and chip shop, then you may wish to transfer staff between the various locations to cover busy times or holiday leave. Whilst this may be attractive to you as an employer, if your shops are laid out and run very differently it will be difficult for staff to adapt and do their jobs properly – which could result in poor performance or customer service. Installing a Florigo in each site can offer a uniform way of cooking, making it easier for staff and managers to move between locations and carry out their roles to the same high standards.

In short, by making your fish and chip establishment the very best it can be you will attract a higher calibre of staff and make it worth their while staying with you.

If you want to find out how a Florigo range can help you reach these levels of frying excellence, please speak to our team on 01527 592 000 or email info@chips.jtid.co.uk.