An Inverness chippy in the running to be crowned UK chip shop of the year has shared the secret to success.
Owners of the Hilton Chip Shop – Jamie Duncan from Inverness and Grant Cranston, from Glasgow – told The Press and Journal they were “shocked” to receive the incredible news that they are now in the running for the title of best takeaway in the UK.
The pair, both 29, previously worked together at 1st Pizza in Nairn, now The Castaway, for seven years before it went into liquidation.
Jamie started as a counter assistant when he was 14, rising to the manager before they took over the shop.
“The shop had gone into liquidation, and we managed to buy it and save all staff jobs,” said Grant.
Jamie added: “We took over The Castaway in January 2020 just before Covid, and we were obviously very worried as we didn’t know what was going to happen.
“It was a time in which many businesses struggled – however, we struggled because of how busy we were.”
Their Nairn success led them to take over the Inverness premises at Oldtown Road in March 2022.
Hilton Chip Shop in top 40 for National Fish and Chip Awards
The shortlist announcement comes just after the pair recently finished “an extensive renovation”.
Grant said: “It was very outdated. The previous owner did a very good job in the business, but the place didn’t have any funding put in for years.”
“There was a newspaper on the wall from 1982,” Jamie added.
“We did a complete strip out; got new walls, changed the layout, new ceiling, new lighting, new floor.
“It was a big investment – over £100,000 – from funds we built up from the Nairn shop and in the first year here.”
They also cut the menu by 20% to focus on “quality rather than quantity” and say sales have been up over 20% since the renovation.
They say the key to their success is “freshly prepared locally sourced food, staff training, attention to detail and great customer service”.
They said: “Before we took it over there was a lot of frozen stuff, but we try to make everything homemade.
“We recently started making our own chicken goujons, which are one of our top sellers.
“We also make homemade mushy peas, coleslaw and garlic dip and our next ambition is to make homemade tartar sauce.”
Hilton Chip Shop has an ‘incredible’ team
The chippy owners also say they have an “incredible team” of nine staff.
The duo said: “The worst thing about running a chippy is how difficult it is to find and train staff.
“But the best thing is when you see them trained and being great at their job, that’s just really rewarding.”
Hilton Chip Shop thanks customers after shortlist success
Jamie told The P&J it was the first time they entered the National Fish and Chip Awards.
He said: “We were not expecting the nomination this year, we thought maybe next year.
“I woke up in the morning and I looked to my texts and we’re in a group with other fish and chips owners and it took a little while to sink until I got out of the shock.”
They say they could not have made the shortlist without their many “loyal customers”.
The chippy welcomes around 160 people every night.
They said: “The customers in this local area are really loyal, we have a lot of regulars.
“Thank you for supporting us, we really appreciate it more than they know.”
Conversation