Mister Eaters.

The Power of Chips

Where it all began….

In 1989, John was filling his time running his busy butchers shop in a small parade of shops in Garstang. He had a good cross-section of the community visiting his shop on a regular basis and he enjoyed the banter with customers. One of his regular customers, who ran two Chinese take aways in the town, began ordering regular things from the butcher’s shop but when he was pleased with the quality that John could supply he soon began to order some more extraordinary items. The customer was originally from Hong Kong and he was keen to recreate the flavours that he was used to back home. Live ducks and geese were the order of the day and John was of course happy to fulfil the unusual request. Socks became an essential tool for delivery of this order to said customer – the socks being for the ducks and geese’s heads – not for John!

So, one time when the customer from Hong Kong called at the shop to order yet another Chinese delicacy that his family had a hankering for – duck tongues! – said customer casually mentioned that he was looking to downsize his businesses and wanted someone to fill one of his take aways. Coincidentally, the shop in question was on the same parade of shops as John’s butchers shop. Well, knowing nothing about Fish and Chips, others may have racked their brains for suitable candidates to suggest but not John – John boldly said, “I’ll give it a go!”

So that was how it started, completely by chance, or fate which ever way you look at it.

There was a very steep learning curve for the first few months and even now, 25 years on, there is still more to be learnt. It quickly became evident, that as a successful business and where John’s true passion lay, Fish and Chips was the winner over the butcher’s shop, so giving 110% to the new venture, the butcher’s shop was closed. Many years on and a couple of properties later, new premises were sought which brings Mister Eaters to where it is now located in Preston.

There have been many ups and downs, especially in the early years and even now the day’s challenges continue to be unpredictable, but that is actually part of its appeal. Challenges such as managing staff, appropriate pricing, legal compliance, sourcing reliable suppliers/services, learning the best methods of preparation/frying/maintenance/hygiene etc., deciding what was suitable advertizing and much more – none of which put the dampers on John’s enthusiasm.

Soon the Fish and Chip trade was becoming part of John’s very being. Anyone who has been involved in the trade for any length of time will understand its addictive nature but for those of you that have no experience of the trade I will try to explain.

When you say the words, “Chippy Tea” what image do you conjure up? For many people the phrase instantly takes them back to a precious time in their lives which is why they desire to continue the British tradition today. Picture the scene, mum is not cooking tonight, we can choose what we want from the menu, we might even get a tin ‘o pop, because it is “Chippy Tea Night!” The bustling, excitement of the queue, patiently waiting their turn as they grow more hungry breathing in the comforting aroma of freshly fried, crispy yet fluffy chips splashed with vinegar and a sprinkle of salt….

Playing a key role in this highly valued part of people’s everyday lives, is where the appeal lies.

Living and breathing the shop, quite literally, meant that it was always going to be a success, but a passion for serving great quality food, with a massive helping of imagination, made Mister Eaters stand out from the crowd carrying it forward to the new millennium and beyond! Caring, and I mean genuinely caring about everything which leaves the shop, makes Mister Eaters unique.

EVERY portion of chips, from the first of the day to the very last of the week – MATTERS.

EVERY customer, whether they spend 50p or £150.00 – MATTERS.

Having experienced two distinct retail outlets, butchers and Fish and Chip Shop, although both in the food sector, John found that they were very different. The fish and chip trade was much more frantic, customers required instant gratification and its appeal was far wider reaching. The Fish and Chip trade is unique in that it has the ability to erase any race, age, gender, disability, ethnicity, economic, and education inequalities with ease. Members of the community come together with the common title of “customer” and in a Fish and Chip shop they are all equal. There is the opportunity to interact whilst waiting in a queue with a whole new set of people, such is the wide appeal of Fish and Chips.

Serving such a diverse range of customers gives John and his team, an incomparable insight into the many different ways of life. Many other businesses have a more defined customer base so do not have a similar opportunity to experience such human variance.

Giving that personal touch especially in service, is never wasted effort, it allows customers the freedom to be more engaged and engaging and it results in many customers becoming genuine friends – brought together by the “Power of Chips”.

Many customers are known by their first names – it is personal attention which is valued. Mister Eaters’ customers, week in, week out, are keeping alive one of the Great British traditions, one which is quintessentially British and shows no signs of dying out anytime soon. We are playing our part in helping MORE people, create MORE memories of precious times in THEIR lives with people precious to THEM. In doing so, we have been immortalized. John and “The Team” consider themselves immensely privileged to have the opportunity, daily, to touch people’s lives and to connect with people from all walks of life and from all around the world, if only in a small way – by the simple act of serving Fish and Chips.

After twenty-five years John is, and rightly so, hugely proud of what he has created and developed in Mister Eaters and there is certainly no “foot off the gas” philosophy on the horizon as he continues to push innovation with incredible attention to detail.

A final note….

The Fish and Chip trade can at times make you want to cry but overwhelmingly, what working in this business gives you is endless opportunities to laugh!

THE POWER OF CHIPS