An award-winning fish and chip store has 11 members of the identical household working at it – spanning throughout three generations.
In case you stroll into J-Henry’s Fish & Chips, in Hedge Finish, Hampshire, you’ve gotten a reasonably good probability of being served by a member of the Lee household.
Shane Lee, 59, who is called the ‘Codfather,’ not solely employs his spouse and 4 youngsters – however his 5 teenage grandchildren, aged 13 to fifteen, too.
He arrange the enterprise 36 years in the past and it is by no means left the household – his son Sonny defined that ‘you are born into it’ and ‘as quickly as you are sufficiently old you are within the chippy’.
Now, 11 members of the Lee household proudly man the counters and fryers, serving up battered cod and peeling, chopping and frying potatoes.
The Lee household, pictured left to proper: Sonny Lee, Scarlett Harris, Charlotte Khaira, Ellie Lee, Charmaine Lee, Beverley Lee, Shane Lee, Brook Ayles, John-Henry Lee, Betsy Lee and Sienna Harris
On the books are Mr Lee, his spouse Beverley, 60, and their 4 youngsters – sons John-Henry, 41, and Sonny, 29, and daughters Ellie, 38, and Charlotte, 25.
Grandchildren Scarlett Harris, 15, Charmaine, 13, Betsy, 13, and Sienna Harris, 13, are additionally employed on the chippy alongside Sonny’s step-son Brook Ayles, 15.
The kids are given their uniforms and put to work from age 11, working shifts round faculty time.
Mr Lee stated: ‘It is primarily household however we’re as much as about 16 workers now. To me, that’s my children and grandkids. It is pretty.
‘You do not see household companies like that as of late in any respect. From time to time we have now an argument however it’s normally in jest and more often than not it is all good’
‘All of us have working relationship. Some households cannot work collectively – however it appears to work for us.’
The chippy proprietor, who goes via 100 tonnes of spuds a yr – estimates his household have served over a million parts of chips since he opened for enterprise in 1988.
He was simply 23 when he purchased the store – naming it after his son John-Henry – however was already skilled within the business as he’d labored at a chippy in London from the age of 14.
Now, 11 members of the Lee household proudly man the counters and fryers, serving up battered cod and peeling, chopping and frying potatoes
Mr Lee stated: ‘All of us have working relationship. Some households cannot work collectively – however it appears to work for us’
J-Henry’s has been awarded a Good Meals Award for 2023/24, being recognised for its good high quality meals, pleasant service, and regionally sourced produce
The chippy proprietor, who goes via 100 tonnes of spuds a yr – estimates his household have served over a million parts of chips since he opened for enterprise in 1988
Clients have been visiting the ‘correct household oriented’ chippy for over 20 years and even change Christmas playing cards with the Lee household as a result of they worth the pleasant service a lot.
Mr Lee revealed: ‘If we’re doing workers events, or Christmas events and Secret Santas, stuff like that with household, I am normally ‘The Codfather himself, Shane Lee’.
Nevertheless, the 59-year-old is wanting ahead to taking a backseat within the enterprise and watch his two sons John-Henry and Sonny take over.
He stated: ‘I am joyful for it to go from power to power and the boys are going to proceed the place I’ve left off.
‘I am unable to see it slowing down sooner or later to allow them to hold it going and hold it being profitable. I look ahead to the long run.’
Mr Lee stated with the ‘present decline within the excessive road’, being open for such a size time period while competing with quick meals chains like McDonalds and KFC is ‘an achievement in itself’.
He added: ‘Once we first come down there was none of that kind of factor, not one of the large boys have been right here however now we have all of them as competitors. However clearly, we’re nonetheless right here, the proof is within the pudding.’
Pictured: Henry, Shane and John-Henry Lee in 1995 – clients have been visiting the chippy for over 20 years and even change Christmas playing cards with the Lee household as a result of they worth the pleasant service a lot
Shane Lee (Pictured left in 2000) was simply 23 when he purchased the store – naming it after his son John-Henry – now he employs his spouse Beverley (Pictured proper, aged 19 in 1981) and their 4 youngsters
The 59-year-old is wanting ahead to taking a backseat within the enterprise and watch his two sons John-Henry (pictured aged 18 in 2001) and Sonny take over
Pictured: John-Henry Lee aged 18 together with his grandfather Henry Lee in 2001
Pictured left to proper: Ellie Lee, Sonny Lee, Beverley Lee, Shane Lee and John-Henry Lee with their Good Meals Award
John-Henry’s two different daughters, Olivia-Rai (RIGHT), six, and Isla (MIDDLE), two, have even been given their very own mini chippy uniform in what’s a glimpse into their future
Sonny stated the household worth a robust work ethic – ‘as quickly as you may carry a bag of spuds and tall sufficient to look over-the-counter with out standing on an oil field, you are sufficiently old to serve’.
John-Henry’s two different daughters, Olivia-Rai, six, and Isla, two, have even been given their very own mini chippy uniform in what’s a glimpse into their future.
Sonny stated: ‘All of the quick household at the moment are concerned in fish and chips. It is all about good meals and pleasant service.
‘I do know three quarters of our clients’ names and I learn about their households and also you turn out to be buddies with them – I do know most of their orders.’
J-Henry’s has been awarded a Good Meals Award for 2023/24, being recognised for its good high quality meals, pleasant service, and regionally sourced produce.
It has additionally been awarded an Elite Hygiene Award – the best hygiene ranking that may be awarded – for assembly hygiene requirements at three separate inspections over eight years.
The Lee household additionally personal one other chippy in Hedge Finish, referred to as The Codfather, nonetheless it’s beneath totally different administration.
