Hundreds queue for hours to bag 45p fish and chips in Middleton

Mother Hubbard’s opened its brand new shop in Middleton this weekend

Hundreds of customers flocked to Middleton Shopping Centre to take advantage of a 45p fish and chip meal. A massive queue formed outside the shopping centre for the grand opening of the Mother Hubbard’s chippy on Saturday (September 12).

To mark the occasion, the battered cod chain ran a special offer in a nod to the price their fish and chips were sold for back in 1972 when their first store was opened in Bradford.

The new store opened at 11am, with some eager punters arriving as early as 9am to be beat the expected long queue.

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Not everyone has welcomed the new chip shop, however. Last year, the owners of Middleton Fish Bar, just yards away, voiced concerns about the plans.

Bosses launched a petition against the opening of the chain, which now has more than 47 stores and a further 52 franchise sites. It called for support for local businesses and ‘policies and decisions that encourage independent shops to open and thrive’.

Andrew Turner, 18 and Tuseef Arshad, 28, spent up to an hour in the snaking queue for their meals.

Speaking to the M.E.N, Andrew said: “We were out here for more than an hour. We just came out here to support the community.

“I think that’s what this is all about. I’ve had Mother Hubbard’s before, but it’s Tuseef’s first time so I thought, why not come and try?

“It’s only 45p as well.”

Speaking about the concerns that Mother Hubbard’s will have on local businesses, Andrew said: “I feel bad for them. I’ve never been to the Middleton Fish Bar, but I think now I might go and try them out, to see the difference.”

A member of the public who was in the queue but preferred to remain anonymous said: “I don’t think this place needed any more chippies, there’s plenty already.

“But I just came out here to try it out. Middleton Fish Bar is my favourite, but I think Mother Hubbard’s could take them over, maybe because of convenience or quality. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Safwaan Hanif, 43, made the trip from Oldham to stand in line with his family. “If Mother Hubbard’s brings more people to the town then it will help the area,” he told the M.E.N.

“I’m not too bothered about it all, I came because my son is a big foodie and my family asked me to come with them. I think a place like this opening can affect local businesses, but it all depends on the regular customers.”

Last year, Middleton Fish Bar bosses launched a petition against the opening of the chain. It called for support for local businesses and ‘policies and decisions that encourage independent shops to open and thrive’.

The petition added: “This isn’t just about competition – it’s about the survival of local, family-run businesses that have served this community with heart, care, and quality for years.

“Chain outlets may bring a recognisable name, but they also threaten to displace the character, charm and unique offerings that only independent businesses can provide.”

Today, the store was rushed off its feet with queues of its own. James Mathers was stood outside the fish bar looking at the growing Mother Hubbard’s queue a few feet away.

A regular customer of the Middleton Fish Bar, he told the M.E.N that his visits will now be out of principle as well as loyalty.

“I’ve been coming here since I was yay big,” said the 35-year-old. “With my grandparents back in the 90s. Always gone there, always been there.

“No franchise is taking over this town. Support local, you’ve got to support local.

“The local chippies here have a reputation in this town. They’ve got that 45p thing over there, when they go up to full price, which is expensive, all them people in that queue will be back here.

“If that was a normal price, that queue wouldn’t be there.”

Garry Harrison, 69, also opted for the fish bar this weekend. He said: “There’s three chippies here already. We need a post office, never mind another one.

“But that’s what happens when more and more people just won’t cook at home. The local chippies here are a good standard, so Mother Hubbard’s will have to do a lot to match.

“But they must have done their research. I’ll eventually try them.”

Ahead of the grand opening, Mother Hubbard’s head chef Chris Farnell, said: “We have branches nationwide all the way from Scotland to London and we’re opening one in Middleton,” he said. “We’re doing 45p for fish and chips on Saturday for the first 1,000 customers, and are open from 11am until we sell out.

“When Mother Hubbard’s first opened in Bradford, 1972 – that’s how much it cost. All we’re doing is fish and chips on Saturday, but after that we’ll be open seven days a week, 11am until 11pm. We do 100 per cent Icelandic haddock, other things like sandwiches, burgers, pies and sausages too, and we’re Halal as well.”

Addressing the concerns raised in last year’s petition he added: “We’re not here to take over, just here to give decent fish and chips. The prices won’t compete, just people’s choice. We’re not here to put anyone out of business.”

Previously, a spokesperson for the Middleton Fish Bar told the Manchester Evening News they don’t feel they can do ‘much about it’ now. They added: “We’ll just have to brace ourselves and keep to ourselves, I don’t know what it will do for us.

“For the town centre at the moment we’re advocating for independent traders and businesses in the town. And there will be new incentives for traders and getting more people into the town. The chains coming in does hit hard.”

Middleton Fish Bar sells a number of options including their fish and chip meal for £11.50, which comes with fish (usually haddock or cod) with mushy peas, bread and butter and a canned drink. A regular fish costs £8 while a regular chips costs £3.50, and all food can be enjoyed in their dining room.

Founded in Bradford in 1972, the first Mother Hubbard’s was opened by Bernard Youens and Jean Alexander, better known as Coronation Street’s Stan and Hilda Ogden. The restaurant, on Ingleby Road, with a portion of fish and chips costing just 45p at the time.

One site in Bradford became three, and then more sites began popping up in Batley, Keighley, Huddersfield and Halifax, before heading over the Pennines with a branch in Oldham around eight years ago. And the expansion didn’t stop there, with sites now also in Salford, Bolton, Cheetham Hill, and Stockport.