Women in Fish and Chip Keeps Shops Connected and Inspired During Lockdown
Updated: 25 January, 2021
Women in Fish and Chips hosted held a successful Zoom webinar conference on January 18th, 2020, to help shops to connect and share ideas during the lockdown.  
The JJ Foodservice-backed initiative hosted seven inspiring speakers under the theme ‘Innovating to Thrive,’ covering menu ideas, eating in trends and lockdown success stories.
More than 50 shops attended from across the UK, together with industry bodies Seafish and the Marine Stewardship Council.   
“Lockdown can be isolating – not just for people working from home but for businesses too,” said Chief Product Officer at JJ, Sezer Ozkul.  
“We were delighted to host some of the UK’s best shops to share ideas.”
Social Media Tips and Local Partnerships  
Director of Hooked-on-the-Heath in Cheshire, Tori Howard, ran a popular session on how to use Tik Tok, one of the fastest-growing social media platforms.
“Since the lockdowns, people are experimenting with making their own videos, so we decided to give it a try.
“We ended up going viral with more than 300K views,” she said.  
Meanwhile, Vicky Webster, Owner of Captain Cod in Chislehurst achieved a years’ worth of sales in three months by partnering with a local pizzeria to expand her online menu.
“I was determined not to be beaten by the pandemic,” she said.  
Fish and Chips Fares Well
The fish and chip sector has outperformed the total eating out market during the pandemic, according to Suzi Pegg-Darlison, Market Insight Analyst at Seafish. 
Shops have seen a 27% decline in sales versus 49% in pubs and 33% in casual dining.
“Concepts like meal deals and food subscriptions could help shops grab an even larger share on the market in future,” she said.  
https://youtu.be/Nr-Fy9J0vNE
50% of shops that attended the webinar said they saw an increase in sales during pandemic, according to a live poll.
All sessions are available to watch via JJ’s YouTube channel. Watch them here.
About Women in Fish and Chips
WIFC is a free event organised by JJ Foodservice for female fish and chip shop owners and aspiring managers. The event is designed to help businesses to connect with other successful shops and grow business networks. If you would like to register to attend future events, please sign up here. WiFC will be launching a Fish and Chips with a View Guide in 2021 to promote the best shops to the Staycation market. Register your shop here.
About JJ Foodservice
JJ Foodservice operates across eleven UK branches, supplying food, drink, packaging and cleaning products to all kinds of fish and seafood customers from restaurants and takeaways to pubs, hotels, mobile caterers and more. JJ cares passionately about supporting the fish and chip sector. Fish is purchased directly from vessels and products are fully traceable, helping to ensure a robust and sustainable supply chain. Orders can be placed online via the JJ website or App for collection or delivery. Visit: www.jjfoodservice.com.
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