Visitors to Blackpool Sands can swap sandy sandwiches for freshly cooked fish and chips thanks to a refurbishment of the beachside cafe and a new high efficiency Kiremko island range
It’s often said that fish and chips taste best when enjoyed by the water. So when local hotelier and restaurateur Charles Deuchar took over running the takeaway on the privately owned 10-mile stretch of unspoilt Blue Flag beach in Dartmouth, Devon, he was keen to make some changes. One was to revamp the beachside unit serving burgers and wraps into a cosy cafe offering top quality fish and chips.
“We took over in February 2023 and after several months of planning we knew that fish and chips was the right decision for the beach location,” says Charles. “We sell other items too, but fish and chips is the number one bestseller!”
Blackpool Sands, which earlier this year was listed as the best beach in the UK by Conde Nast Traveller, attracts thousands of holidaymakers each year, as well as plays host to the annual music festival Tunes on the Sands and the Dartmouth Triathlon.
To cope with the huge influx of visitors in the high season, a Kiremko five pan high efficiency island range has been installed featuring two separate filtration systems, two hot boxes, a chip box and Fry digital controllers.
“We wanted something that will last us years and keep up with some serious volume in the summer, and Kiremko came highly recommended by several operators,” explains Charles.
“One of the main features on the frying range that has helped us is the timers. All our products are on the timers for consistency. But the filtration system by far is the best. It prolongs the oil life and saves us quite a bit of money.”
By including of a separate filtration system, Blackpool Sands can cater for a much wider customer base. Charles adds: “It’s a huge benefit to us as it means we can advertise gluten free and vegan options with the utmost confidence.”
At the end of this season, building work will commence once again to extend the informal cafe into a 200-cover cafe, bar and lounge ready for March 2024.
Charles and his team are looking forward to moving Blackpool Sands on even further, with Charles adding: “The sky is the limit! We are grateful to KFE who have been absolutely amazing and a great support both before and after the frying range was installed.”
