End of an era as chippy shuts after 65 years

A FISH and chip shop in Yate has battered its last cod and closed its doors, after 65 years of frying up chip suppers for local people.

Pisces was opened in Station Road by the Holbrook family in 1958.

But Kip and Julia Holbrook, who took the business over from Kip's dad in 1988, retired last March after running it for 34 years.

The lease was taken over by Jose Gil, who manages Frydays in Cranleigh Court, a month later.

But last year the landowner was given permission to change the business from a food outlet to a shop or hairdresser, and build five houses on the car park and surrounding land, and the shop closed at the end of last month.

Staff put a handwritten poster in the window saying: “Due to the land being used to build houses, Saturday 25th March will be our last day open.”

One regular customer since the 90s, Yate resident Laurence Green, told the Voice Pisces was a part of the town’s fabric and would be sorely missed.

He said: “As a regular, one gets to know the clientele, and get to have a good chat whilst waiting for the lovely meal being freshly prepared. I will miss seeing the folk very much indeed.

“Pisces, to me, is a social hub and most certainly part of the very fabric of Yate.”

Mr Gil did not respond to the

Voice's request for a comment.

In December last year South Gloucestershire Council gave permission for outbuildings to be demolished and five homes to be built on the site.

In a report to councillors, planning officers said the shop originally served workers at the nearby Newman’s electric motor factory.

In the 1980s a cottage on the site was demolished to extend the car park, to cater for people driving to buy their chip suppers.

A number of local people had objected, saying the new homes would overlook their houses, and voicing concerns about bats living on the site.

Yate Town Council also objected, saying it was overdevelopment.

Planning officers said the general and detailed architectural approach was “very positive”.

They said: “The scheme is considered to be a very good example of a modern approach, which references older styles, in fenestration, form and materials. The principle natural stone material relates well in particular with the older properties along the southern side of Station Road.”

They said the former chip shop would be marketed as a beauty salon or hairdressers.

They said the outbuildings were assessed for their bat roosting potential and were found to be “of low potential”.