29/07/2026
Located on the main road into Cleethorpes, around 20 minutes walk from the seafront and close to the Grimsby Town football ground, Pip’s Chips operates in one of the country’s most competitive areas for fish and chips.
“There’s loads of big, established fish and chip places that people have been going to for decades,” says Mark Aldridge, who opened the takeaway with his partner Pippa Gilbert in 2021. “And everyone’s an expert on fish because we’re next to Grimsby. You’ve got to serve the best to get people in.”
Drawing on almost four decades as a chef, Mark is constantly experimenting with ideas that can be adapted for the fryer. “I’ll spot something on a menu and think I could do that through the fryer. Or I’ll be walking round the supermarket and see something and wonder what I could do with it.”
Among the most popular additions are Babybels, battered and fried to order. “We sell about 100 a week,” says Mark. ”They cost about 50p each and we sell them for £1. It’s a great add-on and it’s paying for the pot washer for the week and it’s bringing people into the shop.”
Other successful specials include cod and chilli croquettes, sweet chilli bubble prawns, mushy pea fritters, and battered sandwiches which change monthly and feature fillings such as lemon curd, jam, cheese and ham, or chocolate spread. “The sandwiches are literally a slice of bread with a bit of filling in it, battered and fried,” says Mark. “We sell them with a pot of ice cream for £4 and the margin on that is phenomenal. Plus, they get people talking, they’ll be chatting at work and telling their mates. Word of mouth does a lot more than putting an advert in a newspaper or on the radio.”
All items are battered in Goldensheaf G50 batter mixture, which the pair have used since day one. “It was what the previous owners used and it’s an excellent product,” explains Mark. “Customers actually come in and say, ‘Don’t ever change your batter,” and I wouldn’t. I know I could save a couple of quid with a cheaper product, but what’s the point if I’m going to lose customers.”
The takeaway also uses Dinaclass Irish Curry Sauce, which has developed a loyal following, particularly on Grimsby Town matchdays. “We get through gallons of it on a football day and it’s not just people buying it to have with their fish and chips or sausage and chips, we get people who come and buy pots of curry sauce to go with whatever they are cooking at home. It’s got so much more flavour than a regular curry sauce and a nice warmth to it.”
Pip’s Chip’s
