A beloved fish and chip shop in Marlow Bottom celebrated 14 years of service this week.

Oysters Fish & Chips welcomed a number of local patrons who came out to pay tribute to their local chippy despite the drizzly lunchtime weather.

Owner Gavin Singh welcomed Mayor Richard Scott to help him pop a bottle of champagne under the shop's awning to mark 14 years of Oysters in Marlow, before cutting into an impressively lifelike 'cod and chips' cake.

Speaking at the celebration, Gavin thanked the community for their support but also shared the struggles faced by fish and chip restaurants in the midst of the current economic crisis.

Despite Oysters Fish & Chips making it a priority to source equipment from British manufacturers, recent sanctions on fishing boats and cooking oil mean it has not been immune to challenges facing the sector.

Gavin said: "To meet the same price margins as we have in the last five years, we'd need to charge about £12 or £13 for cod and chips. A family of four would end up spending something in the region of £50, so they would just go elsewhere.

"We've done things in the right way so luckily we are able to see this next year through but many fish and chip shops are going under and owners are having to sell because they can't go on."

He added that the UK is now down to under 8,000 fish and chippies, with that number predicted to shrink to only 5,000 over the next three years.

Despite these sobering figures, the prevailing mood was one of celebration, with many attendees praising Oysters' high quality of food and warm customer service. 

Alongside the Mayor and other local dignitaries, also present was Savica Basaric, who ran the restaurant with her husband for 19 years before Gavin became proprietor in 2009, and whose son Petar still works there today.

Fish, chip and cake eating were not the only goings-on inside the small chippy, which is tucked away on Brucewood Parade in Marlow Bottom.

Bucks Free Press:

Podcasters from SMJ Media Group had also set up shop in the restaurant's dining area and chatted to guests throughout the afternoon about themselves and their community.

Alongside the eat-in and takeaway service, Oysters Fish & Chips also provide catering for local groups and events - helped by the shop's four-pan range which allows servers to meet high demand while minimising long wait times.

Oysters Fish & Chips also have restaurants in Lightwater and Camberley Old Dean in Surrey.

Readers can visit https://www.oystersfishandchips.co.uk/ to find out more.