−−− BY LINZI DAVIES −−−
Coe’s Fish and Chip shop in Crossgates is celebrating its centenary this year! For the people of east Leeds, it holds fond memories with many pensioners remembering buying their meal from there as children, and then as teens and young adults getting a hot bag of chips generously covered in salt and vinegar to enjoy on their walk home from the cinema opposite.
However, when Mrs Coe decided to turn an old stables into a fish frying shop back in 1922, she faced fierce opposition as the area was green belt back then. Mrs Coe thankfully had the foresight to see that the area would become a thriving urban community and she ran her successful business until she retired in 1954. Coe’s then remained in the Jaques family until 2013 when then manager Bernard Hopkins purchased the business from Robin.
Bernard is rightly proud of Coe’s today, and told us, “There are not many businesses around today that have survived and thrived for 100 years. We recognise the heritage of Coe’s and so we try to stick with tradition as best as we can. We only serve fish & chips, and we only cook it in beef dripping. Why diversify the menu when what we do, we do incredibly well – as it was 100 years ago when Mrs Coe first opened.” Bernard also remembers, as the youngest of 12 siblings, that the cost of fish and chips for some families is just too much, and so he keeps the prices as low as he can to enable as many as possible to enjoy this traditional British meal.
To celebrate their 100th birthday, and to give something back to the local communities who have supported them over the years, Coe’s are raising funds for the MND charity. To honour legendary Leeds Rhinos player Rob Burrows who is living with the disease, Bernard will be donating £7777 on the 7th of July to the charity to commemorate Rob’s shirt number 7 which he loved playing rugby in for so many years. Each month, a different meal will be chosen with a percentage of the cost going into the charity pot for each portion ordered. Customers will be kept updated on the appeal via Coe’s facebook page.
Throughout the year as part of the celebrations, Coe’s will also have some great customer offers, one of which is an exclusive competition for 10 of our lucky readers to win a £10 voucher to spend on fish & chips. See the advert below for more details!
