Chance chippy job sees Torquay fryer shortlisted for national award

A walk through the front door of a Torquay fish and chip restaurant proved to be a life-changing moment for young Charlie James.

Now, just a couple of years later, he is in line for a top industry award. Here Charlie tells in his own words how his life has changed from studying to be an electrician to an electrifying fish fryer!

I’m Charlie, and I am the Head Fryer at Pier Point Bar and Restaurant in Torquay.

I got my first taste of the Fish & Chip industry whilst I was in college on an electrician’s course, which I had very little passion for really.

I saw a sign on the door of Paignton Pier Chippy saying they were looking for staff, so I just went in and asked about it, which is when I first met Lorraine Arnold, the owner.

She asked about me and what I was doing and if I had any experience. Despite not having any, she agreed, took a chance on me and agreed to give me a trial shift.

 As my curiosity and passion for the industry grew, I eventually made the decision to leave college and fully commit to Fish and Chips as a career.

I started out as a KP & Rumbler, (which is prepping the chips on site fresh every day) before progressing to the Tills and Lorraine saw I had a knack for customer service.

During all this time, I was itching to get on the fryer – it seemed a magical place which Lorraine wouldn’t let anyone on unless they had been trained by her and also been to chippy school. 

This was where I learned the importance of perfection and getting everything right. From the way we made the chips, to frying the food to serving the customer, everything had to be 100 per cent or at least strive to be the best as Lorraine says.

Eventually, I was filling the chip baskets and frying the chips, and I was allowed to do some of the other frying, but not Fish, not YET.

Then finally, the moment came and Lorraine shouted over the range for me to drop a fish so she could see how I did.

She said it was good. I had a knack. She allowed me to fry more and more and paid for me to go to Chippy school. She even suggested the Dry White Young Fish Fryer competition even then, but I didn’t feel ready. I was finding my feet in an industry I had stumbled into but found I had a talent and a passion for. I was good at it, but I wanted to be the best.

When Lorraine bought Pier Point and asked me to transfer over, I had no hesitation. I was proud to move over and remain part of the Family and help create a new team at Pier Point.

 Lorraine had given me a chance when I needed it and nurtured me through the years, and also I should say, through my punctuality issues back in the early days. I wasn’t always on time, sometimes I missed a shift, but Lorraine felt I was worth giving a chance on.

 In fact, I remember one bank holiday Lorraine was knocking on my door shouting, “Charlie, I hope you're getting dressed for its Bank Holiday Weekend and you are letting everyone down!!! “ 

It could’ve gone either way, especially in seaside towns like Paignton & Torquay where I see a few young people who were not fortunate to get opportunities and chances. I’m grateful I had them and held on to them.

The industry has done so much for me as a person, building my confidence and motivating and inspiring me to constantly improve, and even mentor new fryers who come into the fold, it’s so rewarding to see how when new team members come on board, Lorraine trusts me to now be the one teaching them!

Being part of not only Fish & Chips but also the awards has given me the opportunity to travel the country, meet incredible people within the trade, and even visit the Netherlands to see how our frying ranges are made, which was an amazing experience. Through industry awards such as the NFFF, we have achieved strong recognition, including placing in the top three and top five twice for Restaurant of the Year, and I am extremely passionate about the quality of our product, always pushing myself to try new ideas and explore different types of fish.

 I have entered the NFFF Young Fish Frier of the Year award three times, with this being my final year due to the age cut-off of 25, and I am proud to be in the final five, with the winner announced in London on February 24. This industry is far from a dead-end job—there is a real career to be made if you push yourself, stay curious, and take every opportunity that comes your way, and my ultimate goal is to one day own my own fish and chip shop!