Nestled at the beginning of the main tourist thoroughfare in Matlock Bath is the popular fish and chip restaurant and takeaway that goes by the name of Tucker’s. Established in 1982 in Bolton and then opening in Matlock Bath early 1994, Tucker’s has always been proud of the excellence of the food and the quality of service. Described by discerning visitors as an “absolute must-visit”, Tucker’s has
been carefully and affectionately nurtured over the years by owners Barry and Val Tucker. Complimentary comments are commonplace; glancing through independent websites about Matlock Bath appear references about Tucker’s like the following: “If chip-shops were given stars, Tucker’s would have deserved five.", “The fish and chips at Tucker's are out of this world - must be tasted to be believed!”, “The fragrant chips are delightfully browned, yet soft and fluffy on the inside, the fish succulent, tasty and encased in a unique batter reminiscent of the stuff your Granny used to make.” and “Portions are generous, with child sizes available, and the shop is always spotlessly clean, even on the busiest dinner-hour. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff, who are always pleasant, friendly and with a ready smile.”
With such glowing referrals, it might be easy for a business to rest on its laurels. A recent investment of in excess of £50,000 has seen the arrival of a bespoke, high efficiency frying range. The new British-made fish and chip frying range from ME-FF, has solved the eternal problem of retaining quality of product and service whilst keeping costs down. Beautifully constructed out of stainless steel, the new range boasts high efficiency of around 95% and offers around 30% savings on energy bills. Also, because of the reduced emissions of fumes and carbon gases due to a more efficient combustion process, Tucker’s has been seen to be taking a responsible attitude to environmental protection. Barry is keen to point out, “Matlock Bath has incredibly busy times when we need a frying system which is very quick and efficient to deal with the queues of hungry customers. We need four pans in action at the same time, they need to come up to temperature fast and the recovery time between batches of food has to be as short as possible. We should be able to increase output by a third, reduce energy bills by a third and also improve the quality of the food at the same time!”
The new frying model has a completely new burner system which is computer controlled for maximum gas efficiency. It also has an inbuilt oil filtering system, which along with the many safety advantages also enables Tucker’s (on request) to provide customers gluten and wheat free battered fish and chips. For fish and chips which are “out of this world”, be sure to call at Tucker’s, 18 North Parade, Matlock Bath. Telephone 01629 57306 for further details.
