Bryan Coghill, of Jack ‘O’Bryan’s in Dunfermline, unveils his new venture, The Crab and Lobster Fish Shack, which will showcase fish and chips in South Queensferry next spring.
He describes The Crab and Lobster Fish Shack as “a high-end fish and chip restaurant” but emphasises that this restaurant is in addition to their Dunfermline one.
The new place will feature a relaxed ambience and he envisions a modern twist on traditional fish and chips.
How is the new restaurant different?
“It’s going to be a modern take on fish and chips, where your chippie restaurants in the past had the checked tablecloth and pots of tea, this will have a cool Hamptons or Caribbean, sitting on the beach vibe.”
He emphasises the brand evolution, saying, “What we’re doing moving forward is at Jack ‘O’Bryan’s in Dunfermline we will elevate our meat offer, and the one in South Queensferry is going to be 100% seafood, with the star of the show being fish and chips.”
Why fish and chips?
Bryan has a deep-rooted passion for this dish, recalling, “Now, everybody loves fish and chips. And it’s one of the things that I first did in my career. When I first started, many years ago, the first commercial kitchen that I went into was a fish and chip restaurant in Yorkshire. That’s what made me want to be a chef in the very first place.”
Bryan aims to cater to diverse crowds, explaining, “It’ll be a very chilled-out space, for the young, Instagram crowds, but you can take your family or your granny there on a Sunday too.”
“We’re aiming to be more affordable and relaxed, whereas Jack ‘O’Bryan’s is the fine dining concept; the crab and lobster shack is more of a casual concept.
We won’t be cutting back on quality, just operating in a way that allows the food to be affordable.”
Sustainability is a core value for Bryan and his team: “And we want to highlight the seafood that is available right here on our shores.”
“Most of your seafood that you see when you are on your holidays in the Mediterranean is actually landed here in Scotland, it goes into trucks, and then the next time you see it, it’s in the Med.
“We want to really showcase the produce that’s on our doorstep and let people embrace what we have naturally.”
What seafood will they serve?
The menu will be dynamic and seasonal. Bryan explains: “There won’t be a set menu; it will be changing all the time to reflect what is available.
“Because fish is seasonal, believe it or not. For example, the best time for haddock is after the breeding.”
He also aims to change perceptions around seafood: “We want to change people’s minds who say they don’t like fish.
“So, you might say, ‘I don’t like oysters; I don’t like the texture.’ So, we’ll take an oyster, we’ll tempura it, and serve it with a lovely garlic aioli and caviar. And then it’s a whole different thing.”
Bryan emphasises the importance of sustainability in his operations: “Sustainability will be at the heart of everything we are doing, so we have an amazing frying range with technology that extends the shelf life of the oil and gives an extra week.
Chef excited for new levels of sustainability
“We are also getting a water filtration system from Blue Water, which takes all the micro-plastics out so it’s healthy for drinking.”
He is excited about the environmental impact.
“It’s amazing; it basically uses a stone that was found in Sweden that filters the water so much that it takes all microplastics and everything out.
“As well as being healthier for customers, it is also way better for the environment as there’s going to be less glass needing to be recycled, less plastic going into the ocean.
“It’s an amazing synergy that we have with this company because as a seafood restaurant, we naturally want to protect the ocean.”
Can we sit outside to eat?
The outdoor area will evoke a beachy vibe: “There will be a nice beachy vibe outside, with rope and sea grass and things like that. We want to take you on holiday for a couple of hours to the Caribbean or the Hamptons, where you can just shut off the rest of the world.”
He adds: “Gluten-free fish and chips and other seafood dishes will be on offer every single day of the week, seven days a week, every day.
To enhance the dining experience, he adds, “We’re going to have a lovely bar, where you can sit and have a nice glass of champagne or Prosecco or a cocktail. It’s going to be a very modern take on fish and chips.”
Will you do takeaway fish and chips?
The restaurant will also provide a take away and delivery service: “We’re embracing the technology for the click and collect, but we want to do it in a slightly different manner, where you don’t go and stand in the queue.
“When you get there, the fish and chips will be brought to you in your car. We have a large car park, and we’ll have bays set aside for click and collect so that side of the business is separate and doesn’t impinge on the dining experience inside.”
“Everything going to plan, we would like to try and hope that we could be open sometime in March or April 2025.”
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