Award-winning Greater Manchester chippy known for beef-dripping chippy tea and queues down the street unveils new look

When Dan Edwards decided to open a fish and chip shop in Prestwich back in 2018, he wasn't particularly bothered by a chippy tea. Or at least, he didn't think he'd ever had a good one.

Having worked in some of Manchester's best hotels and the acclaimed Hawksmoor, he came into it with a good understanding of what's needed to make a restaurant thrive, though. He knew from the start that the best possible ingredients were a given - but a USP was also just as crucial.

"Within 24 hours of seeing the to-let sign going up in the window I'd put a deposit down, and was touring Yorkshire's best chippies - I was having fish and chips for breakfast, lunch and dinner," says Dan as he starts firing up the fat fryer.

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"I actually hated fish and chips at that point as I’d never had good ones, but as I went around Yorkshire I saw they were frying everything in beef dripping and while I knew that was quite different to back home I thought that was what would set us apart."

And he was right. Chips @ No. 8 on Clifton Road has become a go-to for hungry, chippy tea-loving Mancunians. Known for its two-storey mural of Mark E. Smith of The Fall, and long queues stretching down the street, it's one of the area's most beloved fish and chip shops.

But despite being named amongst the UK's best in the 'chippy world cup', it's not been plain sailing. "For two years I didn’t pay myself, I couldn’t afford to," Dan says, reflecting on the start of the chippy's journey in 2018.

"We were hidden down a side street. Our first exposure actually came through the Manchester Evening News because of the mural. But then people were coming down and trying the food, so we got that exposure through word-of-mouth.

"Our big breakthrough was when we entered a competition and were named amongst the top 50 chippies - then it really took off and became a destination. What we had to work on was getting people to drive past their chippy and come to us, we had to be different.

Despite their success, Dan is still keen to evolve and change with the times. This week, the owner and the team have revealed their latest project - an expansion of the original site, which now includes the takeaway, a bar and upstairs restaurant space.

Upstairs in particular represents a big change for the Chips @ No. 8 brand, with it's soon-to-launch seafood-focused menu where fried food has been swapped out for dishes like ceviche, bouillabaisse and fish tacos.

The shop's fried classics are still available for those dining upstairs though. As well as the 'from the kitchen' menu, there will also be the 'from the chippy' option, if a classic chippy tea is still desired.

The expanded space still very much feels like the original, but with a few new touches - and a lot more space. The light and airy eatery features exposed brick walls on which fish-inspired artworks hang, while plush leather booths frame the upstairs space to create a welcoming restaurant environment.

Downstairs, there's a new counter for customers to place their takeaway order, and a stylish bar space where customers can grab a quick one while they wait. Fridges are well stocked with cans of pop like dandelion and burdock, Vimto and Fanta, as well as beers from local breweries - a continuation of Dan's aim to keep the ingredients and produce as local as possible.

“We wanted to realise our potential, we were struggling to cope with the demand in the shop before, and knew we couldn’t do much more with the space," he explains, dropping a piece of haddock into the fryer.

"For me, it's still about buying from independent suppliers and businesses too. Fish is sourced from Openshaw Market, potatoes from a supplier in Tottington but the potatoes are from Ely in Cambridgeshire. Puddings from Heywood, pies from HM Pasties, sausages are Grandad’s at Radcliffe, and desserts from Weeniebakes in Prestwich."

Dan had hoped to do the big reveal sooner than this week, but the last 12 months have thrown some curveballs. Issues with the gas supply and equipment including the extraction have slowed progress.

“It’s been a tough 12 months to get here too. We didn’t have the finance, and had to wait for that to come through. Then I naively thought that the gas supply here was sufficient but six months down the line realised it wasn’t."

Unveiling the space earlier this week, he took to Instagram to thank followers and regulars for their patience - as well as a special mention for his wife Marie. "We started this project nearly 12 months ago and it’s come close to breaking me many times," he confessed.

"Easily, the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, but we’re there now! My wife is clearly an angel for putting up with me during this whole time. Marie, I love you more than you can imagine."

And while the restaurant upstairs, with its posh take on a chippy tea is in a soft launch phase while the new systems bed in, the grand reopening attracted the usual attention - and queues - when Dan opened the doors.

So with things looking promising for the new-look Chips @ No. 8 what does he think is the secret ingredient? “Attention to detail," he says without flinching.

"Everyone here has that and a focus on doing things the proper way and not taking shortcuts. Almost everything is made from scratch, we're making flavoured salt as we speak, it's all the little touches like that too.

"When I started this in 2018, I wanted to change the image of fish and chips and what it could be. I knew things were getting expensive but it’s always had a place in British people’s hearts and I don’t think it will ever leave so I wanted to do it well, and still do."