Goodbye, deep fry

NEARLY 50 years of cooking fish and chips in Wanganui's Victoria Ave haven't been enough for George Matsis.
He's not keen to retire, but is in his last 10 days of working life.
"I love it. I do something that I really like," he said. And on his retirement: "I just have to accept it."
Quitting work would mean separation from the people who have become his friends, the customers.
"Your customers become your friends. If you're not at home, they're the people you see most of the day ? not your family."
His shop, in the Bridge Block of Victoria Ave, is the last remaining traditional fish-and-chippery in town with a dining room, salt and vinegar on the table and piles of bread and butter to start the meal.
His retirement marks the end of an era. Between them the three Matsis brothers have clocked up about 150 years of cooking fish and chips in Wanganui.
George Matsis came to New Zealand from Cyprus in 1957 and began his working life in Wanganui in his brother Andrew's fish and chip shop, The Black Cat Cafe.
He progressed to his own shop after that.
The main difference between his business now and in 1958 was that everything was pre-cooked in those days.
"Now everything is cooked on the spot. You choose from the window and we cook it for you."
Mr Matsis usually begins his day around 7.30am, cutting fish. He cuts and fillets his own and makes his own chips. The fish are snapper, blue cod, gurnard and terakihi, and they come from all over New Zealand.
He will eat any kind, as long as it is fresh, but his own favourite is blue cod.
The worst time for his business was when the Town Bridge was closed for rebuilding and there were hardly any cars or people in the bridge block.
But during the past 10 years the Bridge Block had shot away. "All the shops are full, and there's a lot going on by the river. Ucol is down there, and you get a lot of tourists."
He and wife Eleni plan a trip back to Cyprus after he has retired. They're due for a rest after many years of taking only public holidays.
They still own the George's Fisheries building, but the business is to be taken over by Yvonne and Greg Robinson, who have prior experience in the takeaway trade. "They plan to keep it exactly as it is," Mr Matsis said.