FISH and chips, hip hop heritage and helping the homeless – it’s a potent agenda for a crowdfunding campaign with a difference. Hip Hop Chip Shop’s target? £50,000 towards their own place in Ancoats, due to open in June. In the first two days they’ve already raised £3,500. One of the prizes for investors – a donation of £9 will buy a meal for a homeless person through local charity The Mustard Tree.
The planned restaurant in Sawmill Court is an obvious step-up for a street food operation that has scooped awards in its four years of existence – notably in 2017 Best Mobile Fish & Chip Operator at the National Fish & Chip Awards and Street Food Trader Of The Year at the Manchester Food and Drink Awards.
Co-owner Jonathan Oswald tells us: “We just want a proper nice licensed chippy restaurant with a duty to help the local community and a desire to preserve and progress the appreciation of hip-hop culture.”
The business actually started life as multi-punning comedy website with spoof hip hop articles. Ozzie with his advertising background came up with the name Hip Hop Chip Shop.
Only then came the catering with Luke Stocks as head chef (he creates the sublime beer batter). A case of the tail wagging the fish.
The pair, along with Ozzie’s wife Holly, built up their business by converting a trailer to look like a boom box serving unconventional dishes such as ‘fish wrap’, Ms Fat Butty, Feastie Boys and Shell L Cool J Burger – a Louisiana spiced crabcake with battered smoky bacon and spicy ‘slaw.
The trailer has been a lifeline in the culinary wasteland of Media City; HHCS also popped up as a kitchen takeover at NQ bar Kosmonaut. Their own space is a natural progression, all informed by an active social conscience.
They will be working with Foodinate to give meals to those in need, fundraise for Wood Street Mission and they will continue to provide free hot meals to Manchester’s homeless people throughout the year via Not Just Soup.
Help Hip Hop Chip Shop by donating here.
You will be paying for a meal in advance – and it doesn’t have to be for yourself. £10 or £20 will buy a takeaway for one or two people, or from £30 you can dine in with booze.
Groups can buy dine-in hot buffet options in advance, from £150 for 10 people, or for £2,000 you can get exclusive hire of the venue for 40 people with food and drinks – perfect for a special celebration.