Yoker chippy up for national award a year after opening

GoYoker Fish and Chips, located on Dumbarton Road, has been shortlisted for 'Scotland's Best Newcomer' in the Scottish Fish and Chip Awards 2024.

The store was opened in August last year by Scott Gartland, 47, after he came upon the building which was previously Hook'd and saw it was up for lease.

Inside the GoYoker chip shop (Image: Go Yoker)

Having previously worked for the chippy chain Blue Lagoon, Scott decided he wanted a challenge of his own.

Scott Gartland, 47, is the owner of GoYoker (Image: GoYoker) He said: "I used to work in Blue Lagoon for five years. I was the manager of the Glasgow Fort and St Enoch Centre shops.

"After five years, I wanted to try something for myself and then I saw that Hook'd, as it was called at that time, was up for lease.

"So I thought if I don't try it, I'll never know. So I went for it.

"I was quite apprehensive at the start but luckily, the shop prior to me was only open for about three months. So for me to be over the year mark is a good sign."

The chippy celebrated its one-year anniversary in August (Image: GoYoker)

Scott says since the shop has opened he has made great connections with customers and loves keeping up to date with his regulars.

He said: "It's a community here. It's not like the high streets or Glasgow city centre, where if someone's not happy with something, they don't come back. I actually care about my customers.

"If you were to spend, say, two hours from the shop just and watching the amount of people that walk past and wave to me or shout and say hi it's great.

"I used to work in pubs, so you sort of have that same relationship. Instead of alcohol, you're serving them fish and chips.

"It's quite a nice feeling to be nominated because I try to go above and beyond for them. Someone's got a new job - they'll get a wee card. If it's a birthday or a graduation they get a wee something, so it's nice to get that response back from them."