A FAMILY fish and chip business is opening a new shop at a former post office in Worcester.

Ambleside Fish Bar is to open a new shop within the next fortnight at the old post office in Gresham Road, Dines Green.

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But instead of delivering letters and parcels, they want to deliver fish and chips to a new community while continuing to serve the old one after earning a loyal following in Warndon.

The shop in Ambleside Drive, Warndon, Worcester was established by the late Kostas Porphiriou (who has a grandson with the same name) and his son, Tony Porphiriou, 40 years ago and the business been going strong ever since.

Now one of Tony’s sons, Phill, 26, says the family is branching out to open the new shop in Dines Green, which is twice the size of their existing base.

Owner Tony Porphiriou, 57, who decided to seize the opportunity, was born in Cyprus but his children were all born above the Warndon shop and feel close ties to the city.

Worcester News: AMBITION: Ambleside Fish Bar, 'probably the best chippy in the world'. The fish and chip shop is to open this summer. The aim is to get it open in the next two weeksAMBITION: Ambleside Fish Bar, 'probably the best chippy in the world'. The fish and chip shop is to open this summer. The aim is to get it open in the next two weeks

The family hope the people of Dines Green will welcome them into the community in the same warm way the people of Warndon have.

Phill Porphiriou, speaking on behalf of the family, said the Dines Green shop, already fitted out ready to welcome its first customers, will trade alongside their existing, established Warndon business.

Worcester News: LARGE: The Dines Green branch of Ambleside Fish Bar is twice the size of the current shop in Warndon. Both shops remain part of the future vision for the business LARGE: The Dines Green branch of Ambleside Fish Bar is twice the size of the current shop in Warndon. Both shops remain part of the future vision for the business

The dad-of-one said: “The community believes it is one of the best fish and chip shops in Worcester, judging by our reviews on Tripadvisor.

"Our hope is that people in Dines Green will take to us in the same way as the people in Warndon have.

"We are going to employ local people and we hope to give something back to the community. We like to look after our customers and we aim to do the same in Dines Green.”

Worcester News: ROOTS: The original Ambleside Fish Bar in Ambleside Drive, Warndon, Worcester is described by the family as having a loyal following. This business is very much part of the future for the family who hope they can replicate that success in Dines GreenROOTS: The original Ambleside Fish Bar in Ambleside Drive, Warndon, Worcester is described by the family as having a loyal following. This business is very much part of the future for the family who hope they can replicate that success in Dines Green

The new shop will be open between 11.30 am and 2pm and between 4pm and 9.30pm, Monday to Saturday.

Once the family opens the new shop, they hope to offer an extended menu as well as more traditional fish and chip dishes.

One of the reasons the family decided to open a second shop was because customers kept on asking them to, including some from St John’s who come to Warndon to pick up their orders.

Father-of-four Tony Porphiriou said: “The people were asking for a fish and chip shop and we saw an opportunity.”

Both shops will run a delivery service across Worcester and to some surrounding areas via ujustcook.com, serving St John’s, Hallow, Kempsey, Wichenford, Lower Broadheath and other villages nearby.