NFCD Sponsor Spotlight – Middletons

Middletons has been involved in the Fish and Chip industry for over 60 years. Leonard and Sylvia Middleton opened their first fish and chip shop in 1960 and have owned and operated many businesses within the trade ever since. The business is still family-owned and operated and the Middleton family is involved on a day-to-day basis. We operate multiple sites across the West Midlands and are proud that the group employs hundreds of local people.

In 1990, Middleton Food Products was launched to manufacture a range of quality batters to service the nation’s Fish and Chip Shops. Starting with a single batter, Middleton Gold, the company has evolved over the past 30 years into one of the largest suppliers of batters, breaders, curries, gravies and gluten-free products in the industry. We manufacture over 70 different batters, have award-winning coatings and gluten free products, have been listed amongst the ‘companies that Inspire Britain’ report.  We also manufacture own label products for some of the UK’s leading food brands.

We are sponsoring National Fish and Chip Day as we believe that an awareness day for our fantastic and iconic dish is vitally important. National Fish and Chip Day allows all shops within the industry to get involved in the promotion of the dish to the public and to celebrate the fact that we have the nation’s favourite meal to offer. We know that 2023 is going to be a challenging year and everyone at Middletons is committed to doing our part to help shops get every sale possible and to maximise exposure.

In the past, we have always done our bit to help the general trade as much as we can, from working with individual shops, helping to set-up and run the roadshows and relays, providing product and equipment and using our large social media presence to push the day. We have had our own initiatives that we have tied into the day to help promote a positive image for the dish. In previous years we have given free food on the day to doctors, nurses and support staff at a local hospital and have run free fish and chip days for local charities.

This year, we wanted to really step forward and commit to being a Joint Headline Sponsor for the day. We plan to get involved in as many initiatives as we can in the build-up to the day, offer prizes and special promotions to help shops get involved, immerse ourselves in the planning of this very special day.  We are planning to run our own charity day within our local community and are encouraging as many of our customers as possible to get involved. This is our heritage and there is nothing that we want to do more.

The Middleton family have been members of the founders of National Fish and Chip Day, NEODA, for many years and we have had two Presidents of the Association from our team, Peter Hill and myself. As a business, we have always seen the benefits of the Association in helping to maintain good practices and regulation for the trade. Much of NEODA’s work for the trade goes unseen but over many decades, it has helped to protect and promote all that is good for the Fish and Chip industry and much more.