Hillside Fisheries in Ackworth, near Pontefract, has reopened. There’s been a chip shop on the Barnsley Road site for 70 years, unfortunately the shop was gutted by a fire and has been closed for over three years. The new Hillside Fisheries had a huge queue on Monday 25th September, when the new owner, Charlie Tipton, alongside Brian and Jean Lindsay whose parents owned the original shop, cut the ribbon to declare the shop open.
Charlie Tipton said “There’s been a fish and chip shop on the site for many years. When we took over the shop it was a burnt-out shell, so we’ve completely refitted the whole interior.
When we came to replacing the shop front after removing layers of old signs we discovered the beautiful original hand painted one from when the shop first opened. It was still in such a lovely condition we’ve given it pride of place in the shop.”
Being part of the community and building on its history is really important for the team at Hillside Fisheries. When renovations were taking place, local people shared stories and memories of how the shop had played a part in Ackworth’s history. This lead to Charlie being introduced to Brian and Jean and asking them to cut the ribbon. Brian remembers working on the old chipping machine and collecting huge crates of fish from the train station a mile or so away.
Charlie has run chip shops in the area, having previously owned Charlie’s Chippy in Glasshoughton. Having previously lived in Ackworth, Charlie is really happy to be back serving the people in the village.
