Chichester fish and chip shop says goodbye to customers after 14 years

It’s a personal, not a business, decision for owner Andy Marcou, who said he wants to spend more time with his wife and kids.

"We’re not struggling or anything like that,” he said. “We’re going out under our own steam and, to my mind, at the top – on Google, on Deliveroo, on TripAdvisor, all over. It’s a personal decision.

"A lot of people don’t know, but I live in Brighton. When you leave home at eight in the morning, get home at ten in the night, six days a week for 14 years – it’s not that it takes its toll, I’ve never worried about hard work, it’s family life. I see my kids for half an hour in the morning, half an hour at night, ands Sundays. And they’re going to have formative years where I want to be closer to them , going to want to get back to some sense of normality in terms of my working life.”

It’s more than enough reason to move on, but the loss of Andy’s Fish Bar will come as a blow to legions of hungry customers who’ve made the trek down to 78A St Pancras, week after week, year after year, for well over a decade; eager for a Friday night dinner. For Andy, saying goodbye to his regulars is the hardest part.

"It really is all about the customers,” he said. “Without them, we’d be nothing. Some have already come in with gifts, I’ve had some people visit in tears. We’ve been here a long time, I’ve seen kids grow up and become parents themselves; they used to get lollipops at my shop and now they’ve got kids of their own. But I tell them ‘don’t be sad, be happy for me, because it’s the right thing.’”

Like any good chippie, Andy’s Fish Bar is more than the sum of its parts; it’s a cornerstone of the community, with a character and ethos all its own. Looking back, Andy’s proud of the way his small business has poured back into the community that people that supported it. Over the years, the shop has donated to charities, sponsored schools, given food to the homeless and much, much more. It’s one of the reasons – alongside the consistent quality of the food – that Andy’s Fish Bar has lasted as long as it has, despite the challenges of the last 14 years.

"I’ve seen kids grow up and become parents themselves,” he said. “Everyone has a childhood memory of the fish shop, and even if they’re not regulars anymore, they always remember going down to the chip shop on a Friday night; everyone has that link or tie to what we do.

"You make sure to give a little, here and there, wherever you can. You have to be part of your community. If you serve your community, they will in turn serve you.”