While Ponte Nuovo, one of Croydon’s top-end Italian restaurants, undergoes an expensive refurb, Castellas Fish and Chips, a fixture on Selsdon Road for 60 years, urgently needs replacement parts
Croydon’s so-called “Restaurant Quarter” could be on the brink of suffering its worst blow yet, with the closure of Castellas Fish and Chips on Selsdon Road.
Battered: the South Croydon chippie has been closed for almost a week
Castellas is rated 6* (out of five) and Croydon’s best chippie by Inside Croydon’s intrepid undercover reporter for its excellently cooked cod, brilliant batter and huge portions of on-the-premises prepared chips.
But this fixture of the South Croydon community since 1963 has been temporarily closed for almost a week, as they urgently seek replacement parts for their vintage fryer.
A forlorn notice in the chippie’s window says, “Our shop will remain closed until further notice.”
And on a separate sheet they say, “Due to a broken frying range, we are looking for a wide range of suppliers to get the part. The range is from the 1970s. Sorry for any inconvenience cause. Thank you for your support.”
Signs of the times: the notices stuck to the Castellas fish and chip shop’s windows
A replacement fryer could cost the family-run business at least £90,000, plus fitting costs. It all adds up to a load of battered saveloys.
Without a fryer, Castellas could close.
No one at the chip shop was available to take Inside Croydon’s calls this week.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the council marketing department’s “Restaurant Quarter”, another long-standing and successful business, Ponte Nuovo, is closed for refurbishment.
The Italian restaurant has operated from 80-88 High Street, under the Flyover (hence the Ponte), since 2012.
Previously, they ran Il Ponte restaurant on the opposite side of the street.
The restaurant, and the nightclub alongside, have remained popular with diners and dancers for decades. The refurbishment project is expected to be completed within a couple of weeks.
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