THEY were battered but not beaten.
And now award-winning fryer Ian Cioch is back where he should be – frying fish behind the counter of Harry Heywood’s.
At the end of May a blaze broke out at the fish and chip shop on Manchester Road, Linthwaite.
A deep fat fryer overheated and burst into flames, and despite a staff member bravely attempting to fight the flames, the fire was too fierce.
But now they’re back in business after a six-week refit.
Owner Adam Fogerty, a Hollywood actor who has appeared in gangster film Snatch alongside Vinnie Jones, said: “The fire gutted the place, it’s taken us to this point to get back up and running.
“It has been a nightmare but we’ve got the work done and we’re back open again.”
The fire left the inside of the chippy a smoke-logged mess.
Adam added: “It’s taken a lot of hard work – we we’re gutted about what happened but we’re glad to be back open again.”
