Partner Article

Fish and chips market remains healthy

THE enduring demand for fish and chips throughout the economic downturn has helped a North East catering giant edge closer to its aim of becoming a £50m-a-year business within five years.

Gateshead-based Henry Colbeck, which supplies food and oils to fish and chip takeaways and restaurants saw its annual turnover climb slightly to £39.7m in the year ending 31 March 2010.

Profit for the year also moved in the right direction to £281,000 as the company said it was satisfied with its performance given the tough trading environment which continues to hold back almost every public-facing business.

Duncan McLean, marketing director of what is now the UK’s biggest independent supplier to the fish and chips industry, told bdaily: “The fish and chip takeaway market has certainly not been recession-proof but it hasn’t experienced the extreme ravages of what we have seen in other parts of the economy in the last two years.

“We believe that the best will continue to survive – so those businesses who have invested in the things like staff training, signage, equipment and marketing will be the survivors. Shops that are hoping things will change will not because of the corporate competition. We aim to grow our sales from £40m this year to around £50m in the next five years.”

Henry Colbeck employs around 120 people at its Gateshead site and additional facility in Scotland.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .