From the Veteran to the Rising Stars:
What the UK Fish & Chip Industry taught me about Passion, Innovation and Partnership
this Summer
This summer, I spent two days with some of the finest people in the UK Fish & Chip industry.
One day was spent with David Miller, one of the true legends of the sector. He has spent decades building businesses, developing people and helping shape one of Britain’s most iconic food traditions.
See the post from my day with David here
The day before, I spent time with Gavin and Aman at The Scrap Box in York, part of a new generation of operators earning recognition for their creativity, quality and willingness to challenge conventional thinking.
See the post from my day with the Scrap box team here
At first glance, they represent opposite ends of the spectrum: experience versus youth, established success versus emerging talent. But after spending time with them, what struck me most was not their differences. It was what they had in common.
What they share is a remarkable combination of ambition and humility.
They are hungry to learn, improve and innovate, to make tomorrow’s customer experience better than today’s. Yet despite their success, they remain humble and recognise there is always more to learn. Perhaps that is what truly defines the best operators in any industry. They never stop being curious.
What You Do, You Understand
One of my favourite Japanese proverbs says: “What you do, you understand.”
The best understanding doesn’t come from reports, presentations, or market data alone. It comes
from doing.
During my visit to The Scrap Box, I didn’t just observe. I was given the opportunity to step into the kitchen and make fish and chips myself. As any responsible trainee would, I naturally had to taste the final product afterwards.
Whether I am ready for a career change is still up for debate, but I left with the impression that they were reasonably satisfied with their Norwegian reserve employee for the day. Jokes aside, the experience reinforced something important. You never fully understand an industry unless you spend time alongside the people who live it every day. When we experience the challenges, pressures and pride that go into delivering a great product, our perspective changes completely.
Why Staying Close to Customers Matters
For those of us working on the supplier side, there is an important lesson in that. The closer we are to our customers, the better we understand what truly creates value. Insights are rarely found only in boardrooms or spreadsheets. They are found behind the counter, in the kitchen, in the warehouse, and in conversations with people serving customers every single day.
Over these two days, I learned far more than I could have from any report. I gained a deeper understanding of the challenges facing the industry, what drives success, and why the very best businesses continue to set themselves apart. These two days, together with the many visits to outstanding Fish & Chip operators and suppliers during the first half of 2026, have deepened my understanding of the industry. More importantly, they have strengthened our ability to be an even better partner to the UK Fish & Chip sector.
The best decisions are made when we understand our customers’ reality.
A Partnership Built Over Generations
The visits also reminded me how proud I am of the relationship between the UK Fish & Chip industry and the Norwegian frozen-at-sea sector. This partnership has been built over generations through trust, quality, shared ambitions and continuous collaboration. Many of the distributors, wholesalers and fish and chip shops I visited have been working with Norwegian seafood for decades. These are relationships that extend well beyond transactions.
Together with the Norwegian frozen-at-sea industry, the Norwegian Seafood Council has worked over many years to bring the sectors closer together. This has included supporting the National Fish & Chip Awards, organising industry gatherings focused on provenance, innovation and quality, and creating opportunities for businesses throughout the value chain to learn from one another.
Stronger Together - A partnership built over generations
Perhaps the most memorable example is the study trips to Norway. Here, some of the UK’s leading operators experience the value chain first-hand. They meet fishermen, processors and exporters. They visit coastal communities. And they spend a day on board one of the Norwegian frozen-at-sea vessels that harvest the cod and haddock that have become such an important part of the UK fish & chip tradition.
Standing on the deck of a vessel, meeting the people who catch, process and supply the fish provides a unique understanding of where the product comes from and the expertise behind it. It turns concepts such as quality, sustainability and craftsmanship from words into something tangible. That shared understanding is one of the reasons these relationships have endured for so long. It is also one of the reasons I am proud of the contribution the Norwegian Frozen-at-Sea industry continues to make to the UK Fish & Chip sector.
Despite representing different generations of the industry, David, Gavin and Aman ultimately demonstrated the same qualities: curiosity, humility and a relentless commitment to improving what they do.
The Key Lessons
If there is one lesson I take away
from these two days, it is this:
Whether you are a respected industry veteran or an ambitious newcomer, success is built on the same foundations.
• Stay curious.
• Keep learning.
• Stay close to your customers.
• Understand what you do.
• And never lose your passion for it. Because passion drives innovation. Passion builds quality. And passion creates partnerships that can last for generations. The long-standing relationship between the Norwegian Frozen-at-Sea industry and the UK Fish & Chip sector is proof of that.
And yes, after two days with some of the best operators in the business, I will be keeping my day job. But I left with a much deeper appreciation of what it takes to serve truly great fish and chips.
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