Business: Fish and chip duo diversify their menu with chicken

Steve and Diana Pratt are familiar faces in the city's takeaway trade and have just opened their newest venture in Ingestre St. PHOTO/ BEVAN CONLEY

DIANE and Steve Pratt have always had fish to fry, in fact that's exactly what they've been doing for at least 30 years.

Now they've opened their seventh fish and chip shop but added a twist.

Ingestre Fish and Chicken, at 77a Ingestre St, is the business which will open Tuesday-Sunday every week.

They will trade on Mondays if it falls on a public holiday.

"There are some customers we've had from when we started in this business and they've followed all around the city for 30 odd years," Mr Pratt said. Their first shop was in the Aramoho shopping centre.

Then came a fish and chippery in Carlton Ave before they rebuilt a new shop down the road in Liffiton St.

That was followed by a shop in Springvale Rd, in the former Bullocks supermarket, before the Pratts moved into the fish and chip shop in Victoria Ave (opposite KFC) eight years ago.

They were there for five years before they started a fish and chip shop in Bulls. They sold that at the end of last year but have now launched their latest enterprise.

"They've all been fish and chip shops until now and this one is a little bit different because we're doing chicken this time," he said.

"We'd been asked for it at our other shops but have never done it until now. In those early days we never did burgers either because we were so busy doing fish and chips.

"But these days, with so many franchises out there and so many options for customers we didn't really have much of a choice."

Mr Pratt said they had created their own "secret recipe" for the chicken.

"It's a crunchy coating and not like anything around the town. It's nothing like the Colonel's and nothing like the Chinese do either.

"The few people that have tried it have come back and bought more so they obviously like it."

They will have a range of meal deals and will be offering a kids' pack which is something they introduced in Bulls.

"It was surprising how many of them we sold over there," he said.

The Pratts have seen the fast-food business change a lot in three decades and competing against big chains made it tough.

"But all the shops we've had have been very successful. You can still do all right out of it but there's a lot of competition in this town now so you have to work at it," he said.

They are happy with their new location: "We've found from experience that once people know where you are they'll come."

Ingestre Fish and Chicken will be open from 4.30-8pm Tuesday to Sunday, staying open until 8.30pm on Fridays. The shop will be closed on Mondays but will open on public holidays. Contact: Phone 345 8182.