A much-loved fish and chips shop in Darlington is set to reopen under new ownership, promising to bring "high-quality, traditional fish and chips" back to the area.
The shop in Haughton, previously known as Haughton Chippy, has been a well-known property in the village for more than a century.
The venue has been closed since last summer after the previous owners, Frank Suhadolnik and his wife Pam, retired due to ill health after 25 years.
New owners Graham Levy, 66, and Barbara Levy, 67, from Heighington, who own several properties in the area, have now taken over the site and brought on board a new manager, Andrew Maratheftis, who has a history of running several successful fish and chip shops.
Mr Levy said: “For us, it’s all about getting back to basics.
“We want traditional fish and chips cooked properly, the way people remember them. Andrew has the knowledge and passion for it, and he’s going to make sure everything is fresh and of the highest quality for our customers.”
After collecting the keys on Thursday (April 23), The Levys are set to start around six weeks of refurbishment work in the next couple of weeks, with the hope of opening the new venue by June.
Barbara said the building is set to be transformed into a “welcoming new space” for the community.
She said: “We have plans for this place, including landscaping, picnic tables, and flower baskets. We want it to be somewhere people can enjoy their food, sit outside in the summer and have beautiful surroundings.”
The menu will also focus on traditional favourites, including fish and chips fried in beef dripping, homemade fish cakes, and battered sausages.
Graham said: “There’s no gimmicks, no battered Mars bars, no donor kebabs and no parmos.
“We want it to be just honest, good-quality food that people love and have grown up with.”
Since announcing the takeover on Friday (April 24), the news has been welcomed by residents, with more than 1000 likes and 200 comments on social media.
Graham said: “The response so far has been amazing, and the community have just been fantastic.
“We’ve had so many phone calls from people saying how happy they are that we are bringing the fish and chip shop back and asking when we will be opening, which is really encouraging.”
The new owners hope the shop will not only revive the venue but also provide job opportunities to people in the area, with part-time positions soon to become available.
Mr Levy said the aim is to bring a touch of seaside quality back to Darlington.
He said: “Darlington has some good fish and chip shops, but this will be something different.
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“Proper, traditional fish and chips, cooked with care and passion – we want it to be the same quality you’d get at Whitby.
“People deserve that, and there’s definitely a need for it here in Haughton.”
You can find the fish and chip shop at 61 Haughton Green, Haughton Le Skerne, Darlington, DL1 2DD.
Have you missed this chippy? Let us know in the comments below.
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