OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT

By Austen Dack

This week we have had the pleasure of speaking to Hugh Lipscombe who recently won the prestigious “Outstanding Achievement” award at the National Fish & Chip Awards. Hugh is the Founder of The Chesterford Group who are one of the largest independentlyowned fish and chip shop chains in the country; with 38 locations and employing around 850 people.

So Hugh, please can you tell us a bit about your family history in the fish & chip business?

“In 1923, my Grandparents bought a fish and chip shop in Rush Green in Romford using the money that they saved from my Grandfather playing cricket for Accrington. My Dad then bought a fish and chip shop in Harold Hill in 1952 – which we’ve still got today! I always enjoyed the adrenaline rush when I worked in our busy Harold Hill shop – in those days there wasn’t the competition there is today! We used to use 160 bags of potatoes a week in purely a takeaway shop! I learned the fish and chip trade from my Father and Grandfather and then opened my very first fish and chip shop in Potter Street, Harlow in 1971 – which is still a hugely successful store today. Alongside my son

What would you say are the most valuable learnings or pieces of advice you’ve been given?

“In the early days I worked out there were three golden rules to running a fish and chip shop: Offering a great quality product at an affordable price, served in a pleasant and bright environment, by motivated, customer-orientated people. My father had a tremendous work ethic, which myself and my 4 children have also inherited – whom I’m incredibly proud of. My son James Lipscombe, our company CEO, has an exceptional work ethic. So having drive, ambition and always wanting to improve has always been at the heart of our business.”

What would you say is your greatest achievement?

“On a personal level having 4 children, 8 grandchildren and a wife that has put up with me for 54 years! And then on a business level, having guys work for us for 30 or 40 years. Paul our MD was brought up living on top of one our shops because his dad was my first Operations Manager. Paul has been with the company all his working life – he knows fish & chips inside out. As does Wayne Shaw, our Head of Operations who started working for us as a chip boy at 14 years old. One of my greatest prides is that these guys play an integral role in running our multi-millionpound business today!”