A chippy dubbed 'one of Bolton's finest eateries' by Paddy McGuinness is set to close its doors. Owner Margaret Rigby has made the decision to retire and sell Rigby's Chippy, which has been a much loved presence on Deane Church Lane for the past 40 years.
The family-run business even appeared on an episode of Top Gear in 2020. During the series 29 premiere, the hosts had to spend 24 hours in a car without leaving and Paddy visited Rigby's for some lunch, with Margaret bringing his order to the vehicle.
Rigby's is staying open until a buyer is found but Margaret admitted that they have already had a number of viewings. The 80-year-old, who runs the chippy with the help of daughters Andrea and Diane, told the Manchester Evening News : "It's about time. We've been talking about it for a while but I just made my mind up like that.
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"My main reasoning is that I've lost my balance so I can't really go out serving customers. I still wave to them from my chair though! Andrea's got her own shop now selling wax melts so Dianne's doing more or less everything because I can't do anything.
"I hope it's kept as a chippy because it's done me well for 40 years."
Andrea and Diane said that they hope the sale goes through soon as they have found a house that Margaret likes. Speaking about the reaction from customers and people living locally, Margaret added: "They're not happy but they've been very nice. They're upset but I just need somewhere smaller."
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