Richard’s feeling chipper about new village venture, Teesdale Mercury

THE TEMPTING smell of fish and chips is once more wafting around a Teesdale village after a local man decided to fire up the fryers on a new venture. 

Richard Plant opened up the imaginatively titled Chip-in-Dale in Staindrop last Bank Holiday Weekend and said business has been booming. 

He said: “It’s been manic since we’ve opened but that’s a good sign. 

“It’s been really busy – I’d say there’s a 50-50 mix both village people and others who’ve been coming in.”

The new shop, which is open in the village’s Front Street, sells the more traditional type of food you would find in a chippy, there’s no sign of pizza or kebab meat. 

Mr Plant said: “We want to keep it simple. We’ve got traditional cod and chips and burgers but there’s no kebabs here.”

Despite never running a chip shop before Mr Plant has taken the role of head fryer and, with help from his wife Mandy, his daughter Nicola and son Adrian, the shop is already a hit. 

He said: “We’ve had excellent support form neighbours. People who have come in have said it’s excellent food and I’ve not to change anything.

“To help me learn the ropes I spent some time with John and Jean from Fryer Tucks in Barnard Castle who let me go in there and watch how it’s done.”

The quirky name of the shop was a joint effort between Mr Plant and Adrian, and the fish design on the shop’s windows was created by Nicola. “It’s a good family business,” said Mr Plant, “we’ve been quite lucky so far and I hope it continues.”

The shop is open from 11.30am until 1pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and on Friday and Saturday 11.30 to 2pm and 4pm to 8pm.