A FISH and chip shop praised by a TV food star is set to shut down after a decade – and fans are stunned.
The Hip Hop Chip Shop, once rated the second best in the whole UK, cited financial pressures – and said it was joining a “chorus” of defunct businesses in Manchester.
The Hip Hop Chip Shop, on Blossom Street in Ancoats, will be shutting down next month[/caption]
Bosses shared a heartfelt message on Instagram[/caption]
The chippy first opened in 2014 as a street food stall, before moving to a bricks-and-mortar site in Ancoats.
It quickly became one of the best reviewed in the city – and was even praised by American TV host Adam Richman last year, who visited during the filming of the Adam Richman Eats Britain show.
But bosses – including Jonathan ‘Ozzie’ Oswald, Luke Stocks, and Holly Oswald – have now confirmed they’ll be shutting up shop on March 2.
Taking to Instagram, Ozzie wrote: “After 11 years, we’re unfortunately joining the chorus of independent businesses in Manchester and beyond, calling it a day.
“Although Ancoats was an amazing area for us to embark on our bricks & mortar dream, the cost increases from Brexit, Covid, Energy, VAT (halving it would save a lot in the industry), BB Loans etc has meant it’s unviable in its current form – we would’ve had to increase prices much more than we’d be comfortable with to get the margins we need to keep going.
“It’s an extremely tough decision given it’s 15 years since the idea was born in my early 20s – then 3 mates whilst working other jobs began building it from scratch every weekend, to then quitting our jobs and taking a leap of full-time faith. Ultimately, we need to listen to the head, not the heart.
“We wanted to give enough notice to support our amazing team in finding new jobs, making sure all our suppliers are paid up and provide our supportive customers with the last chance to eat/drink/party with us.”
They added: “It’s been a privilege to be able to feed you all whether it’s been at a music festival, kitchen takeover, wedding, corporate party and also put on some top events in a chippy! HUGE thanks for your support!”
A huge closing down party is set to take place on March 2 – with details yet to be announced.
Numerous fans and fellow Manc businesses rushed to pay their tributes to the iconic chippy.
One wrote: “The doors might be closing, but what you’ve done for us will never ever be forgotten. It’s impossible to talk about Manchester Hip Hop without talking about the Chippy.
“From Manchester to Vegas, tales of a Chippy that supported a culture, community and served dam good food will be told with smiles on our faces and heavy hearts.”
Meanwhile, former rival Chips @ No.8 in Prestwich shared its own message.
It said: “We honour those who dared to do it differently. The Hip Hop Chip Shop in Manchester city centre were inspirational to us when we were setting out.
“They turned fish and chips on its head and did it how no one else thought possible. Centred on community with a high-quality product that championed sustainability and the alternative, we deemed them Gods of the fish and chip world and untouchable…
“Yet another independent food-based business to succumb to the economic crisis that has enveloped us and to date, the one that has hit us hardest.
“This latest closure most certainly won’t be the last. The government need to wake up fast and support small independent businesses before there are no more…
“If you haven’t been before then you really should, before it’s too late.”
The news comes amid widespread highstreet closures – across the hospitality and retail industries.
This week, New Look confirmed it would be closing its branch in Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf, later this month.
Reports had previously emerged that the fashion retailer is accelerating plans to close nearly 100 stores, following challenges linked to the Autumn Budget tax changes.
A New Look spokesperson said: “Our store in Porth is set close on February 22.
“We would like to thank all of our colleagues and the local community for their support over the years.
“We hope customers continue to shop with us online at newlook.com, where our full product ranges can be found.”
Why are retailers closing shops?
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
