We’re all chip-ping in to run the family business
FOUR siblings behind a popular chippy chain are carrying on their family’s tradition in the industry.
The Good Catch is renowned for serving traditional fish and chips across Merseyside, with shops on Great Homer Street, Crosby, Formby and Litherland.
Today, siblings Michelle Fairclough, 37, Alison Mattravers, 41, Christopher Pittaras, 40, and Robert Pittaras, 35, are the faces behind the business which is loved by customers across the region.
The siblings, from Crosby, picked up their expertise from their parents and grandparents, with their grandfather opening his first chippy on Soho Street, Liverpool in 1962. The Good Catch opened their first two shops in Greater Manchester around 13 years ago before branching out across Merseyside.
Michelle said: “It stems back to our grandparents - they had fish and chip shops and then our parents did, and we’ve just sort of carried that on.
“My sister and I both went to uni. We didn’t think we’d end up doing this and then we saw the benefits of working with family, and the flexibility it gives, but also growing together.
“It’s nice for the family to grow and all head in the same direction, and we just felt that we would be stronger all of us together running the businesses.”
The Good Catch has previously been crowned the UK’s best fish and chip business with multiple sites in the 2018 National Fish and Chip Awards.
Michelle and Alison have also recently taken on a new venture with sister in laws Kelly Pittaras, 41, and Megan Mciver, 30, with the launch of Kiosk Coffee on Montagu Mews in Freshfield, Formby.
The business, which opened around 18 months ago next to Freshfield Station, serves a range of different pastries, sandwiches, cakes and coffees.
Michelle said: “Me and my sister, when we’re off work we’ll go to a really nice coffee shop, get a pastry or something to eat.
“We just felt locally there wasn’t anywhere we wanted to go to, so we thought ‘you know what why don’t we just give it a try?”
“My sister in law is really good at baking and my other sister in law is really good on social media and HR. We thought we’ll give it a go and we all live local.
“They say don’t mix work and family, but in our eyes it’s worked really well and it’s allowed our in-laws to get involved as well.
“It’s full on, it’s hard work, and you just can’t switch off when you’ve got your own business.
“But it’s nice you’ve got other family members who like the job as much as you and have the same goals as you get through working together. It’s nice for our parents as well seeing us working together and driving a business forward - it’s quite rare really for siblings.”
The faces behind The Good Catch fish and chip shop chain and Kiosk Coffee in Formby. (Left to right) Kelly Pittaras, Christopher Pittaras, Michelle Fairclough and her niece (middle), Megan Mciver, Alison Mattravers and Robert Pittaras