One of the UK's best fish and chip restaurants is opening a new place in Bath

One of the UK's best fish and chip restaurants is opening a new place in Bath later this summer.

The Scallop Shell, a fish and chip restaurant and seafood grill on Monmouth Place, is going to open a new fish and chip shop at 5 Moorland Road called, The Oyster Shell.

The Oyster Shell will be a very traditional chippy, with a focus on the best of British fish and chips and old English classics.

The Scallop Shell made it into the final six for the Restaurant of the Year prize at the 2019 National Fish & Chip Awards. It was named in the UK's top 20 for the second year back in October.

Garry Rosser, owner of the Scallop Shell, said: "Moorland Road was a massive part of where we shopped when Lisa and I were bringing up our children Dan and Becky. There’s a lot of history there and it still feels like a traditional, local community where people love to go.

"When we took the tough decision to close the takeaway side of the business at The Scallop Shell in July 2017 to focus on the restaurant, we really upset people.

"But I try and look at negatives as positive and I always said if the right opportunity came up that we would do it.

"Luckily the business had time to recover, the restaurant is doing very well, and one of the sites that we’d love to take on became available earlier this year."

It will move into where Herbies fish and chip shop used to sit.

The Oyster Shell will be run by Garry's wife, Lisa, and their son, Dan Rosser.

Having worked with Garry for years, Dan left Bath four years ago to pursue his passion of becoming his own chef.

"I didn’t just want to know what dad knew. I wanted to go away and learn for myself," said Dan.

Dan went to hone his skills with Mitch Tonks in Devon, Nieves Barragan Mohacho at London’s hottest new opening for 2018, Sabor, which opened in February and had a Michelin star by October – 'it was brutal but Nieves taught me so much' – as well as working at Marco Pierre White’s first Asian opening, The English House in Singapore.

“For me, it was always about going away and then coming back," said Dan.

A Scallop Shell bathtub full to bursting with a vast array of seafood

"You can work at the best restaurants in the world, but everyone has that dream of doing something for themselves. I’ve always loved fish and chips and always wanted to come back and work for the family business.

"I think with my upbringing as well, you never lose who you are, and that should be a reflection of the chippy.

"I’m a firm believer that fish and chips is fish and chips and a lot of chefs get that wrong as they start trying to do clever things with it.

"From the roots of working here at The Scallop Shell with dad, The Oyster Shell will stick to the same three principles; using the best potatoes, best batter and best fish you can buy and if you can get those three elements right, then hopefully the rest will follow."

The terrace at the The Scallop Shell (Image: The Scallop Shell)

Garry added that he sees the takeaway being 'an extension of the restaurant'.

"I see the takeaway as being an extension of the restaurant, so it’s about putting restaurant-quality food into a takeaway for people to take home," adds Garry.

"I want to help Dan as much as I can, but he’s got masses of drive and ambition and some fantastic ideas. He’s learnt so much about classical cookery that we’re bringing some English classics into this takeaway as well, so we’re going to be doing a little bit more than what we did before.

Inside the Scallop Shell in Monmouth Street (Image: Paolo Ferla)

"It’s very exciting to have an opportunity to open another business in Bath, while bringing the takeaway back and I think Dan’s going to create something really special there – the people of Bath are in for a real treat."

The Oyster Shell is due to open at the end of August, this year.