Britain’s first community-run chip shop in Chelmsley Wood closes after just two weeks

Britain’s first community run chip shop in Chelmsley Wood has been forced to close after less than two weeks – following the sudden resignation of its manager and frier.

Chelmund’s Fish & Chips cost £120,000 to set up and had been two years in the planning.

Its official opening, on Thursday 1st March, coincided with an Arctic-style snowstorm which brought traffic across the city to a near standstill.

But customers were so determined to back the new business some queued outside in sub-zero temperatures for more than an hour.

With a film crew from the BBC One Show filming the launch as well as Birmingham Live, the staff were thrown in at the deep end.

Some had not worked in a chip shop before, while frier Mitchell Sherriff was returning to the industry ten years after he had worked at a former chip on a site redeveloped to house a Co-operative supermarket.

The chippy used social media channels to illustrate how everyone was learning as they went along in a bid to become a quality shop.

But a posting on its Facebook page today said the business was closing pending the hiring of a replacement manager.

It said: “Sadly, our manager/frier left earlier this week.

“He resigned before we were able to train up the deputies meaning we haven’t got anyone to do the frying, which makes running a chip shop quite tricky!

“We have begun to train some interim friers but have decided that they will not be ready for a while.

“We want to learn from our experience and would rather remain closed for a few weeks and get it right, than rush to re-open and not be good quality.

“This does mean that, unfortunately, we won’t be able to open, probably for a few weeks.

“We’re looking to recruit two friers to work with the existing staff team.

“If you have experience in catering/frying, please send in a CV via Three Trees Community Centre.

“The sooner we can recruit, the sooner we can get back open again.

“We want to be the best local chippy and be able to put our profits back into the community and we can only do that if we have the right staff.

“So, many apologies again, this is just teething problems, which many new businesses experience.

“So, the search is on again, not for Alan Sugar’s new apprentice, but for the UK’s first community owned chip shop frier!”

Backed by social enterprise consultancy firm Development in Social Enterprise, the chippy was a joint venture between Chelmsley Wood Baptist Church, community centre Three Trees and Olive Branch Kitchen.

The enterprise received funding help from North Solihull Partnership, social investment fund CAF Venturesome and ART Business Loans which specialises in community finance.

The Rev Neil Roberts from Chelmsley Wood Baptist Church was unavailable today.

But he said at the opening: “Four organisations have come together after we thought someone’s bound to open a chippy here, why not us?

“Our head fryer, Mitchell Sherriff, has trained with the National Federation of Fish Friers.

“There will be eight local, part-time employees who will all get paid properly.

“This is a proper business which has cost £120,000 to set up so far.

“All taxes will be paid like any other business, but any profits will be for the benefit of the local community facilities.”

Read more: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/britains-first-community-run-chip-14423021