The newest fish and chip shop in Swindon is working hard to fight off stiff competition, the owner has said.
Joao Franca opened Xana’s Fish Bar in the old Philips shop on Cricklade Road, Gorse Hill - once ranked the top chippie in Swindon - and feels he has big boots to fill.
He already runs the successful Monica’s Fish Bar in Blunsdon St Andrew - which came sixth out of 25 Swindon chip shops in the Adver’s definitive rankings.
He said: “My plan is to have the shop for a long time but it is going too slowly. Some customers are surprised the shop is so quiet because some say it is the best they have ever had.”
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Joao is friends with the old Philips owners and decided to take on the site after it closed in April because of its good location and reputation. But it bears little resemblance to the old shop.
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He said: “We had to rip off everything from the walls and start from the bricks. It knocked me out. The plan was never to do this in the beginning.
“My plan was to repair the shop bit-by-bit but I didn’t have a choice - everything was very old.”
Joao was sad to see the classic Philips decor go, but also wanted to make a fresh start.
He, like other proud fish and chip owners, says what sets his food apart is its high quality and his experience as a frier - it was his first ever job in the UK.
Joao started frying in Witney after moving to England in 1994. He returned to Portugal but he could not get England out of his head.
He said: “England was always in my head because it was a good place. My head was just thinking, thinking, thinking about England.
“Compared to my country, my country has been more tough. There is less choice. In England you had that choice.
“England has one good thing - it is fair for everybody. It makes me feel good when I am in a country like this.”
He returned to England in 1998 and came to help a friend run Monica’s in Blunsdon, before being invited to be a business partner.
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It was a dream to have Xana’s, his own shop named after his only daughter Alexandra.
He said: “I was thinking of putting Alexandra, but it’s a big name so we decided to use the nickname to make it short and easy to spell.”
Monica’s and Lucy’s fish bars are similarly named after the owners’ daughters.
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