Lanchester fish bar to expand after ‘great first year’
Grandpa’s Fish Bar opened to queues in Lanchester in March last year, as residents eagerly anticipated the reopening of the village’s chippy.
Eleven months on, and owners Rich and Aidan Weatherburn have bought a new catering van, decked out with fryers and all.
And they’re now planning to take their fish and chips to food festivals, weddings and village ‘runs’ – touring County Durham with the van in pop-up style events.
The brothers, who named the business after their grandfather, thanked the community for rallying around them after the grand opening, meaning they’d been able to expand.
“It’s been a great first year,” Rich told The Northern Echo.
“We are really grateful for the support from the village and we feel like we have built a bit of a bond and we want to continue to grow the business and create more jobs for the area.
“We are going to try and make it a traditional fish and chip shop but on wheels.
The pair took to social media, saying the van was a result of ‘months of hard work’.
“Weβre so proud to finally share it with you,” they posted on Facebook on Sunday, February 8.
It was given a warm welcome by residents, who reacted with glee to the announcement.
Pat Hill was full of praise for the brothers saying “Big respect for you two. In a world full of negativity, you have worked your socks off to move further on.”
Claire Sewell said: “Fabulous! This looks amazing! Now you can spread the fish and chip love far and wide.”