The man in charge says it’s time to retire – aged 80
Fishminster restaurant, pictured back in November 2010(Image: Bristol News & Media)
An iconic fish and chip shop that has served lunch and supper to generations of people in South Bristol for almost 100 years has closed, after the man who ran it finally retired as he approaches the age of 80.
Instead of enjoying some time off, Peter Adams took charge of an iconic South Bristol fish and chip restaurant at the age of 70. He said running Fishminster for the past ten years wasn’t how he pictured his ‘dream retirement’ to be, but said it was fun working seven days a week for behind the counter.
But now, the fish and chip takeaway and restaurant on North Street, Ashton, has closed. It is unclear what will happen to the business next, but Peter said he is now stepping away, thanking the loyal customers he’d grown to know and love over the years. The business is currently listed as ‘permanently closed’ on Google.
In a post on Nextdoor, Mr Adams described how it was an honour to be at the helm of the fish and chip shop, which had been there for since the early 1930s, and once served lunch and supper to workers at the nearby Wills Tobacco factories.
“Whilst it was not financially rewarding – apart from during the pandemic, when we were extra busy and VAT was cut to five per cent – there was a lot of fun getting to know and forming a bond with our regular customers,” Mr Adams said. “And also watching many of our young staff who joined as nervous school kids and watch them grow in confidence, finish their GCSE’s, then on to A levels and then after several years with us, leave for a gap year adventure of head off to university,” he said.
“Anyway, it has now come to an end, which is a shame as it has been a fish and chip shop for almost 100 years,” he added.
“Many years ago we met an old man who said that it was his parents’ fish and chip shop before the war, in the 1930s and they lived above the shop. In those days it was mostly lunchtime business for the many tobacco factories in the area.
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“Also some of our older customers told us that their mothers used to buy fish and chips from here before the war,” he added.
Mr Adams told customers the business had become the latest fish and chip shop to succumb to rising costs. “As had been widely reported, many of the smaller fish and chips shops are closing as it is no longer viable economically due to massive increases in the cost of fish and the cost of living crisis that is reducing people’s spending power,” he said.
He said now he is approaching 80, it’s ‘time to retire, for the second time’. “So thank you to all our loyal customers and the wonderful staff who made Fishminster a fun business. I will miss them all and the happy times we had,” he added.