Long established freehold fish & chip shop, Bacup

Key features

• Same ownership for forty years, retirement sale
• Freehold corner property with solar panels and owner's parking
• Two-bedroom flat over the shop included
• Five-day trading, just 26 frying hours per week
• Weekly takings of around £1,800 on a conventional menu

About this business

A traditional freehold fish & chip takeaway in Bacup, Lancashire, held in the same hands for forty years and now offered for sale due to a pending retirement. The shop trades just five days a week over a total of 26 frying hours, taking around £1,800 weekly on a pared-back conventional menu. Genuine sale, all serious offers considered, and clear scope for a younger operator to extend hours, add deliveries and grow the takings.

Trading figures

Weekly takings are reported to average £1,800, generated from a straightforward conventional fish & chip menu. The shop previously offered Chinese food alongside the core menu until September 2025, but operations were simplified ahead of the owner's retirement and the focus is now solely on fish & chips with reduced openings. Run at a relaxed pace to suit the current owner across just 26 frying hours a week, the takings reflect a deliberately lightly-traded business — and the obvious upside for a younger buyer prepared to extend hours, reintroduce a wider menu or add a local delivery service.

Trading hours

Monday to Friday. Lunch: 11.30am – 1.30pm. Teatime: 4.45pm – 8.00pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday. Just five days of trading over 26 frying hours per week.

Business premises

A two-storey freehold corner property at the end of a small parade, double-fronted with a side entrance door and topped with solar panels. Inside, the customer area is fully tiled with a suspended illuminated ceiling and fronts onto a modern two-pan fluted counter range that is only ten years old, with further equipment positioned behind. The shop continues through into a fully tiled kitchen and preparation area housing the Chinese two-burner cooker, a double-bowl sink and ample store cupboards. To the rear sits a separate potato store and wet room, with rear access and a private parking space for the owner.

Trade equipment

The headline item is a two-pan fluted counter range, only ten years old and the heart of the operation. Alongside it: a 28lb rumbler, chipper, six-pot bain-marie, upright fridge/freezer, fish fridge, chest freezer, upright larder fridge, Chinese two-ring gas burner, four-ring gas oven, microwave and an electric till. A full inventory will be provided prior to completion.

Accommodation

Internal access leads to a double-glazed flat with electric wall heaters. The ground floor has a lounge, and the first floor offers two double bedrooms (one with fitted robes, the other currently used as a sitting room) plus a spacious bathroom with overhead shower.

Trading position

A prominent end-of-parade pitch fronting a main route road, just a few minutes' drive from Bacup town centre and within convenient reach of Rochdale. The parade is well established, the surrounding residential estates feed steady local custom, and the main-road frontage adds a useful layer of passing trade on top. Close to all local amenities, with strong visibility and easy accessibility — three reliable streams of trade in one location.

Special remarks

A genuine retirement sale after forty years in the same hands — the kind of tenure that only happens when a business is properly supported by its community. The shop is currently run at a pace that suits the owner: five days a week, Monday to Friday, with 26 frying hours and a deliberately simplified menu. For a younger proprietor willing to extend the hours, add a local delivery service or broaden the menu back out, the levers for growth are obvious and within reach. All serious offers will be considered to help facilitate a quick sale, and inspection is invited to confirm both the standard of the property and the genuine nature of the sale.