New high-end Cumbrian fish and chip restaurant set to open soon

The opening date for a new higher-end Cumbrian fish and chip restaurant and takeaway has been revealed.

Salt Fish and Chips, based in Seascale, is getting ready to open its takeaway service on Friday July 17 and its seafood restaurant space on Tuesday July 18.

Owner Ben Llewelyn-Seed, 40, from Gosforth, has spent months renovating the building on South Parade, which is situated close to the beach front.

It was formerly home to Shackles Off Youth Project, which has now moved to a temporary location while its new, larger HQ is being built.

The new eatery is set to have enough seating space for 35 customers and has drawn inspiration from other fancy fish and chip restaurants in the UK including the Malt & Anchor in Cirencester.

Ben said that he is aiming to focus on using Cumbrian products and ingredients as well as only selling ethically produced meat and fish.

He said: “Local and high ethics are our two main areas of focus. When we talk about local, we’re using things like meats from a local butcher who do a great chippy sausage and potatoes grown near Carlisle.

“We’re also going to be using British trawlers, which is where you buy your fish from in the fish and chip game and we will also be doing homemade pies.”

Instead of hiring a traditional fry cook, Ben has hired a chef with the aim of running a bigger seafood menu during the winter.

He said: “It will still be fish and chips, but we’ll focus more on seafood in the colder months. Our chef Jamie has been in the game for 30 years and we’ll also be doing homemade pies, offering local coffee, real scampi, vegetarian options, gluten-free options and desserts.

“We are also planning to do a small amount of beer brewing on site, now whether that’s to be used as beer batter or we choose to sell it is a different matter and there are things we need to do to prepare for this.”

Ben added that they will also sell beer from Lakes Brewing Co., who are based in Kendal and wine from Lake District Wines, based in Keswick, bottles of which will change depending upon the season.

He said: “Something that I’ve stood by is it being a meeting place for the residents of Seascale. At the end of the day it’s still a business and dont get me wrong its there to generate income for me and my family, but I’m not a business tycoon.

“I have no vision of setting up multiple shops. It has been something I could have opened quickly, but I wanted to bring it back to life and hopefully other people will see we’ve made a good effort and it was worth waiting for.”

He added that the renovation process of the building so far had allowed him to indulge his interior design ideas and that he had gained inspiration from the Cumbrian coastline as well as the building itself and its rich history.

He said: “My family and I live in Gosforth and there’s always been this idea of ‘why isn’t there a fish and chip shop of Seascale’ when it’s an ideal place. I spotted the building on South Parade for sale and just loved it – but I knew it was a big job.

“When I went to view it I realised there was a lot of temporary interior walls that could be removed that would make it perfect for a fish and chip shop with seating. So I left my previous job and set up renovating here mostly on my own.

“I’ve really enjoyed taking it back to what it used to be. I’ve removed a lot of plasterboard that was put over beautiful features, so we’re really bringing it back to life, our theme in mind for the space has always been ‘old but good.’

“We’ve got some seating from Scotland that was really well made in the 70s and we’ve fitted it in and it just looks a million dollars and we’ve also got a beautiful rope chandelier in the restaurant area which looks great. I really like the idea of interior design, although I’m probably not the best at it, I like that it’s a bit quirky.”

Being able to bring the building back to its historical roots was also a main focus for Ben throughout the renovations.

He said: “It was at one point an old newsagents and deli and I heard someone describe it as the Harrods of the north, and I just love that.

“It had everything, it had freshly ground coffee, a big ham carving machine and it was a very stark difference because there was nothing else like it around here.

“I believe it sole existence was due to a private school around here where children were akin to a diff lifestyle and that’s why it was set up how it was.

“It’s always been quite an admired building in Seascale and there seems to be a lot of nostalgia and romance about the building, I just feel really lucky to have it.

“I do like that it will be something that Seascale residents have wanted for years but for me a lot of it has been about the renovation.

“I love that we’ve been able to bring it back to what it has been. I’ve sat for hours and hours sanding paint of individual bricks to get the red brick back and I’m just really chuffed with what the building has to offer. I was there the other morning and I was actually quite emotional, I’m just really proud of it.”

Local graffiti artist Beardy is also working on the shop and will be creating a mural of a compass on the ceiling of the restaurant. He has also done the ‘Salt’ lettering on the main wall inside the building and will be helping with outside signage.

Alongside some of his friends, Ben also owns Marra Bikes and Boards, a business that offers bike, kayak and stand up paddleboard hire in West Cumbria, which he said had given him the confidence to take on the new venture.

He added: “I am really excited, it is going to be properly cool but I’m nervous at the same time, I haven’t done any venture like this before. Our chef Jaime knows his stuff and we also have a great Ukrainian lady doing our front of house.

“I’m lucky to have good people around me and we’ve been massively overwhelmed with the amount of support, interest and encouragement that everyone has shown.”