Packed full of modern features, including a six pan electric Kiremko island range, 29-year-old Liam Brown believes his new venture is the future of fish and chips
Mike’s Famous Fish and Chips has opened the doors to its second takeaway and restaurant in Aberdeenshire, and it is certainly a sight to behold.
With 29,000 cars a day passing by along the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road and the busiest Starbucks in the northeast of Scotland located right next door, Liam has gone to every length possible to ensure customers make a pitstop at his Blackburn site.
The 18,000ft2 new build is an expanse of sparkling glass, creating a bright, spacious and airy interior, while separate in and out doors keep the flow of customers moving. There are also digital menu screens, air conditioning, click and collect, an external serving hatch, and gluten free and vegan options for customers to takeaway or eat in at one of the 20 seats inside or 12 outside.
Food is served in cardboard boxes, with Liam believing the days of crockery and cutlery are over. And to future-proof the business, there are plans to add deliveries, a breakfast offering and self-serve ordering kiosks.
“It excites me what we’re doing here,” says Liam, who as a teenager worked for his father at the family’s original site in Mugiemoss Road. “I do personally think it is going to be the future for fish and chip shops.”
A high spec shop warrants a high spec range with Liam choosing an electric Kiremko island range, complete with two 1-meter fish pans, two chip pans plus dedicated vegan and gluten free pans. In addition, the range features Kiremko’s latest Fry digital controls and built-in filtration.
“The range is fantastic. I had a busier than usual Monday recently and whereas I would only use one pan, I did eventually have to fire up my second pan and it got up to temperature within about seven minutes. It meant customers didn’t have to wait despite the fact we were busier but also it was just me working on two 1-meter pans and I could cope because of the capabilities that range has got.”
While the range is easily coping with the volume, the layout is helping speed up service.
Liam adds: “The island range is perfect for a busy shop like this because it separates my counter staff and my frying staff so nobody is stepping over anyone or bumping into each other, everybody is in their station. This means we eliminate the bottlenecks you often get at, say, your chip box area.”
When it comes to operating the range, Liam, who did an apprenticeship in engineering before re-joining the family business, comments: “I find if you work at our Mugiemoss Road shop you’ve got to be very experienced to work the range. If you’re not then you have to be intensely trained. Whereas the Kiremko, with its controls and buttons, you can walk in and by the end of your shift you know what you’re doing.
“I compare it to the lathes I used when I was an apprentice. Whereas the old-school manual lathe is very much like the fryer we have in our Mugiemoss Road shop, the Kiremko is like the CNC lathes which are computerised, high precision and advanced.”