“The Best Range by Far!” says Chippy Owner Dean Gardner

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In October 2020 we installed a 3-Pan Electric Wall range into Warren Fish Bar. This range includes our unique Halo Lighting and our state-of-the-art Active Triple Filtration system. Just over a month later and we spoke with owner Dean to see how he’s getting on!


How did you first get into the Fish & Chip industry?

“I’ve been in catering all my life. I bought a seaside café in Exmouth in 2004. I soon realised I’d got it completely wrong because everyone wanted Fish & Chips! I soon got a few fryers but realised they just weren’t good enough and I needed a proper Fish & Chip frying range. Rob (Florigo MD) came to the rescue and got me a great second hand 2-pan Florigo range.”

What would you say is your greatest achievement?

“In 2014 I lost everything, including the lease in Exmouth. I came down to Dawlish Warren and got a chip shop down here, it was in a right mess at the time, but it was all I could afford. A few years later and we have 4 businesses down here all in Fish & Chips. We even do all the catering for the holiday parks! It’s cost me about £300,000 to get this shop done right. Rob helped me massively and now it’s a beautiful shop, right by the seafront too.”

Why did you choose a Florigo range to take your business forward?

“This shop has always struggled with massive queues. We’ve had to turn people away because the old range just couldn’t keep up. I’ve had dutch frying ranges from other manufacturers in the past but there is nothing on the market like what you can get from Florigo, by far the best range. The proof is in the pudding, how much I’m saving on oil. Customers are already commenting on how good the chips are now. Rob has always been good to me, I couldn’t ask anymore of him.”

How does this electric range compare to your gas range? Is it as quick with recovery times?

“This new range warms up so quick, and the quality of the fish and chips is amazing. It’s a brilliant piece of kit. Having an old range that struggled to regulate the oil temperature properly really let my food down. This Florigo range cooks the food in no time at all, the chip box and hot box keeps the food nice and hot too.”

What’s your favourite thing about your Florigo range?

“The filtration is even better than before! You filter the oil and it comes back into the pan like its brand new! I’ve only just changed the oil, the filtration is that good, if I’m honest it didn’t even need changing then!”

How did Covid-19 affect your business?

“They cancelled all the holidays for the holiday parks because of Covid, so we were quieter but we stayed open for the locals at weekends.”

How have you adapted?

“We’re just about to get all our online ordering system setup. We’ve had a full kitchen put in so we can do breakfasts & sandwiches, so it’s not just fish and chips we can offer. We normally close during the winter but we’re going to stay open this year.”

What does the future hold for Warren Fish Bar?

“We’ve got a really good brand down here already and this shop is beautiful now we’ve had the refit. Where we’re based is dependent on holiday makers, but we want more locals coming in.”

Huge thanks to Dean for taking the time out to speak to us. The shop looks fantastic and we wish him the greatest success with his business.

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