01/09/2026
đ A very difficult goodbye to New Road Fisheries
I never thought I would be writing this after 2 years.
With a very heavy heart, I have to let you all know that New Road Fisheries has now closed its doors.
This isnât how I wanted the story to end.
Over the last few weeks, I have desperately hoped that somebody would come forward to either buy the business or rent the shop and take it forward. Sadly, despite my efforts, that hasnât happened. The shop is ready to move into, and I genuinely believed that someone would see the potential in it and give New Road Fisheries the future I had hoped for.
Unfortunately, my health has now left me with no choice.
I suffered a severe knee injury in the shop early last year, and the long hours standing and lifting involved in running the shop have taken their toll. My knee has continued to deteriorate and has now become so painful that I simply cannot complete the tasks required to effectively run the shop.
I am also risking far more serious injury to myself and my staff when dealing with 180°C fat, particularly when my knee keeps giving way and causing me to stumble and fall.
As difficult as it is to accept, I have reached the point where I have to come to terms with my diagnosis and put my health and safety first.
When I took on New Road Fisheries, I knew it would be hard work, but I never imagined just how much the shop â and the people who came through its doors â would come to mean to me.
A fish and chip shop is about so much more than serving food. It becomes part of peopleâs lives, part of the community, and part of the fabric of the place you live.
There have been some incredibly challenging days where the pain has just been immense, but plenty of other challenges too, such as endless heat waves and road closures for our little village. There have also been some wonderfully rewarding ones, and so many of those good memories are because of the people I met along the way.
It has been an enormous honour and privilege to serve this community, and I honestly cannot thank you enough for the support you have shown me.
If you would indulge me, I would like to say a few thank yous:
Firstly, to my family who helped me start this journey â a massive thank you for the financial and emotional support.
To all who helped me in the shop on this journey: Shauna, Andrea, Andie, Justine, Teresa & Ashley â thank you from the bottom of my heart. I could never have done this without you. You worked incredibly hard, often under enormous pressure, and I will always be grateful for the time, effort and loyalty you gave to New Road Fisheries.
To every customer who walked through our door â thank you!
Thank you for choosing us.
Thank you for coming back.
Thank you for the fantastic reviews.
Thank you for the kind words, the conversations, the smiles and the encouragement when things were difficult.
To Gordon & Emma - I know this was not the plan; I appreciate the difficulties this causes you, and I thank you for your understanding.
To my partner Helen, thank you for being my rock through these last few months, when you have been there for me through the most difficult of times. You have put up with my constant whinging about my pain levels and lowered your expectations on challenging dog walks to match my ever-reducing ability!
I am genuinely heartbroken that I have had to make this decision. This was my retirement plan! There is a part of me that desperately wishes things could have been different, but sometimes life makes the decision for you.
I sincerely hope it will not be closed for long, but for now at least, for the final time, from me and everyone at New Road FisheriesâŚ
Thank you. â¤ď¸
Goodbye, New Road Fisheries. đđđ
