11:03am Thursday 28th January 2010
By Ruth Meech
EFFORTS to help the community have gained Alf’s fish and chip shop two national awards.
The chippy at Fiveways in Weymouth was awarded the Contribution to the Local Community Award and the Favourite Frier Award in the National Chip Shop of the Year Competition at a London ceremony.
And adding an extra piquancy to the accolades is the fact that Alf’s was nominated by its customers and beat more than 5,000 other chip shops to the honour.
John Pearce, who has been running the busy shop for the past five years with his wife Karen, said: “We are thrilled to bits with the award, but it is all down to the locals who use us. I want to thank them for all their support.
“Whatever we do for charity, people support us – and the Echo has been brilliant too.”
Much of the charity work carried out by John and Karen centres on the elderly community living in sheltered accommodation around their chip shop.
Last year, they took them Christmas shopping in Street then back to Alf’s for sausage and chips. Other outings in 2009 included a day-trip and tour for more than 100 pensioners to the Rhododendron Mile at Puddletown Forest followed by a visit to a garden centre and back to the chippy for tea.
They also organised a tour of the Sea Life Centre.
John and Karen look after elderly friends who are unable to prepare their own food.
“We look after some of the people living in the bungalows over the road, “ said John, who works from 7am until 10pm seven days a week. “We cook a main meal for one gentleman every day, wash up and make him a cup of tea.”
He added that one 93-year-old popped into Alf’s and offered John 50p for fish and chips.
“She said would 10 bob cover it – that’s 50p! So I said yes, and gave her two shillings change. It made her day.”
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