When it comes to rave reviews, Oakdale Chippy has stacks of them from satisfied customers. They praise the big portions, tasty food, value for money and friendly staff. "By far the best chippy around," said one.
The chip shop in Bakersfield is constantly number one on TripAdvisor and boasts a five hygiene rating, so cleanliness and food safety is spot on, too. The latest accolade for owners Mario Therabondos and his wife Jo Kara is a prestigious Good Food Award.
Even renowned designer and TV personality Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen dropped in earlier this year while filming a new series, Outrageous Homes, for Channel 4. The couple has run the chippy in Oakdale Road for five years but Mario has been frying for a quarter of a century at chippies around Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire and the current takeaway, which was originally his dad's business.
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Jo said the secret of their success isn't just due to their finely cooked fish and chips but down to their passion for the job. She said: "We love what we do, we love food."
And their popularity with the customers? "It's Mario's mouth, the banter, his cheekiness. He loves everybody. Whenever anyone comes in they say 'Mario we love you' and Mario says it backs. He asks for dates with the older generation. I do with the same with the good-looking ones," laughed Jo.
On a serious note, Jo said the five-star reviews and awards boost morale while chip shops are facing a tough time due to the cost of living crisis. The industry has been hit with spiralling prices for fish, oil, peas and packaging, as well as soaring energy bills.
"It keeps us going, with the state of the economy now. It's the only thing keeping us going, satisfying everybody - well you can't satisfy everybody but we try. We are getting by."
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen visited while filming in Nottingham in August for his new show, which is expected to be aired next year. "He wanted a little clip of the chip shop," said Jo, who can be seen in a video on the chip shop's Facebook page handing the star his chips.
"He was filming in the area and doing a fish theme, so he said how nice would it be to combine it with a chip shop. He said: "I'm doing the best house in Nottingham so I might as well go to the best chippy in Nottingham."
The Good Food Award is the coveted 'Blue Ribbon for Delicious Dishes' given to hard-working teams who strive for excellence within their field. Food quality, service and value is taken into account, along with customer ratings.
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