Traditional Black Country chippie gutted by fire is bouncing back six months on

The Village Plaice in Tettenhall has been busy providing its loyal customers with a range of freshly cooked-to-order food since reopening on Wednesday, May 3, five months after a pan fire got out of control and caused substantial damage.

Since the fire on November 29, the co-owners Sharleen and Ravi Singh Pahal have spent close to £100,000 on new equipment and other costs from insurance on renovating the shop and said the response from the community had been wonderful.

Mr Pahal said: "All of the local businesses have been so supportive and I think that's reflective of the whole of Tettenhall village as we've got this closeness and everyone helps everyone out.

"As for the customers, they are amazing and supported us all the way, checking on how we are and asking when we're opening, so we know we've done the right thing spending all this money to refurbish the shop.

"There were days when we wondered if we were going to be able to come back as it was such a big fire but, thankfully, we put our heads together and got through it and we're back open."

Mrs Pahal said: "Everyone has been amazing since the fire, with such a lot of support and lovely messages from them, and to have the number of people coming in, it has been amazing."

The shop carries traditional fish and chips fare as well as cod goujons, while also selling a range of vegetarian food, kebabs, burgers, chicken and a selection of pizzas.

Sitting on Tettenhall High Street near to Upper Green, Village Plaice has been a popular place for lovers of the Black Country's famous orange chips and fish, with a healthy lunchtime crowd, something Mr Pahal said was down to the look of the shop and the quality of the food.

He said: "We're in a village and we've tried to make this a village place, hence the name of the shop, and when you go in, there are pictures of how the village looked 50 years ago, so we've tried to keep it that as it's a small village where everyone knows each other.

"What makes our food special is freshness as we try to cook to order and not pile up food in the ovens, which might take a bit longer, but we think, quality-wise, when the customer takes it home they will appreciate the freshness.

"I'm quite confident about the future as our customer base is amazing, with everybody supporting it and glad to see us back and it's just genuinely good to be back after all this time."

To find out more about Village Plaice and the food on offer, go to villageplaice.co.uk.