AN iconic fish and chip shop in Barrow which has been serving chippy teas for more than 45 years has reopened for business.

Nicos and Johanna Nicolaides, son and daughter-in-law of the property’s owners Savvas and Helen Nicolaides have seized the chance to re-open the Olympic in Buccleuch Street.

For the last few years the business has been rented out and when the previous tenant left, the Nicolaides family decided the time was right for a spot of refurbishment that has seen the ground floor gutted and renovated.

It was also an opportunity for Nicos to return to his roots and run a business where he first learnt his trade. Nicos co-owns the Lakeland Continental in Ulverston, but the chance to also run the Olympic was irresistible.

Nicos said: “Rather than be average at lots of food genres our aim is to focus on a traditional fish & chip shop experience where the ingredients are king. With that in mind we’ve tried to source the best local produce with items like the pies and sausages all produced in Cumbria.

"Apart from the iconic fish suppers, there will other classic dishes on the menu like homemade fishcakes along with new ideas like fish finger butties. We’re going to to do what we know well and in time, we’ll introduce more homemade ideas to suit today’s lifestyles.

"So much has changed since I used to cook here as a young man, not only in terms of competition, but also in terms of lifestyles and we need to react to that."

The business was originally opened in 1969 by Savvas Nicolaides and his brother-in-law George Constantinou. Back then the range was powered by a coal fire.

In the mid seventies Andrew Neophytou and his family joined Savvas to run the business. In recent years the property has been in sole ownership of Nicos’s family.

Nicos said: “We’ve been lucky in that we’ve had the luxury to do the renovations at our pace, but during that time it has been truly amazing to meet mum & dad’s old customer’s on almost a daily basis who pop in for a chat and can’t wait for the shop to be open again as a traditional 'chippy’.

"Mum’s lost count of the number of times that she’s been asked when the shop’s open again. It just reminds me of all the hard work and time we all put in to get it right in the first place.

"Now’s the time for my family to carry on the tradition of providing the people of Barrow with their favourite fish & chip shop meals."