Jay Barratt is bringing chef-level chops to a new Gold Coast fish-and-chip shop
A new fish-and-chip shop is coming to Burleigh Heads this September, one packing some serious culinary credentials. After wrapping up a stint as head chef of Supernormal Brisbane, the Hector’s Deli co-founder is making for Burleigh Heads to open Paradise Fish Shop, a neighbourhood takeaway inspired by the Friday-night fish-and-chip runs of his childhood. Here’s what we know …
Jason Barratt is very comfortable working in high-level kitchens. He cut his teeth at Attica and Stokehouse, which helped prime the chef for his own leadership roles at Raes on Wategos, Paper Daisy and, most recently, Trader House’s Supernormal Brisbane.
But he also feels at home in casual environments. As a co-founder of Hector’s Deli, Jay helped instigate a sandwich revolution in Australia, the ripple effects of which are still being felt across the country.
If you ask Jay, though, he’ll tell you a place he feels incredibly at ease is the local fish-and-chip shop, with its neighbourly warmth, evergreen reliability and, most importantly, its paper-wrapped prizes.
“When I was younger we had fish and chips all the time,” Jay recalls. “If it was a Friday night, fish and chips was a thing – going in there and chatting to the person who’s there and experiencing that.”
With this in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that for his next project, Jay is stepping away from high-intensity restaurant kitchens to open his own fish-and-chip shop on the Gold Coast. Seeking a sea change and a project that meshed well with raising a young family, the idea of opening a neighbourhood spot inspired by those Friday night takeaway runs resonated.
“I’m the happiest and the best version of myself when I’m near the beach,” says Jay, who grew up on Phillip Island. “We wanted to raise our kids here, so that was a big decision for us. What came second to that was, you know, what could I do here?”
You might like
Paradise Fish Shop, which is set to open in Burleigh Heads on Wednesday September 23, isn’t your run-of-the-mill fish ‘n’ chipper.
The 20-seat fast-casual concept, located on Deodar Drive next door to Kostel Milk Bar, will see Jay applying the lessons learned at his previous postings to deliver a considered take on the beloved takeaway go-to. Think of it less as a reinvention, and more of a concentrated effort to serve the best possible product, while still staying true to deeply embedded traditions.
“We wanted it to still look like your standard run-of-the-mill fish-and-chip shop that had been operating for the last 20 years,” says Jay.
Leveraging his connections, Jay will be sourcing some of the best fresh and sustainable seafood from top-flight fishermen like Daniel Fleming, Ben Murry and Wayne James, and a plethora of suppliers that trawl the east coast of Australia.
“We’re definitely going to be pushing produce as a leading front of it,” says Jay. “I want to make sure that the seafood that we’re getting is as best as we can get and it also lands on the table or on the plate at an appropriate price.”
Paradise Fish Shop’s menu will be all killer, no filler – think hand-cut chips made from Russet Burbank potatoes sourced from Gippsland, hand-battered fish (paired with sauces like salsa verde, spicy tomato mayonnaise and a classic tartare laced with citrus and fresh dill), seasonal salads, dim sims made in-house using organic chicken thigh and ground Bangalow pork belly (served with seasoned soy sauce and black vinegar), and crumbed whiting sandwiches.
“We didn’t want the menu to read differently. We did the same thing with Hector’s – we asked, ‘What are the top five sandwiches that everyone knows and loves?’ We’re not overcomplicating it,” says Jay.
“Those key things that have been fish-and-chip shop menus for as long as we can remember, they need to be celebrated. We wanted to have those as staples, but obviously just do them the best that we can with the experience that I have.”
There will also be rotating specials, potentially including seared yellowfin tuna and calamari rings done in Jay’s style.
A liquor licence is still in the works, with Jay applying for an off-licence to facilitate takeaway. If approved, guests will be able to pair their takeaway order with wine and beer, while those dining in will also be able to enjoy frozen margaritas.
“My cousin is a distiller and he’s come up with this amazing recipe that is a margarita at its heart, but it’s lemon-based,” says Jay. “We’ve made this beautiful Davidson plum syrup, which we put in the bottom and then as you pump the margarita to it, it gets this sunrise swirl.”
As for the shop’s design, Jay is keeping things classic – paying homage to the Gold Coast’s history as a travel destination with an aesthetic imbued with coastal ease. A television will screen old episodes of Home & Away, nodding to the venue’s nostalgia-laced inspirations.
Though Jay says he hasn’t forsaken restaurants for good, Paradise Fish Shop represents where Jay is at in his life and career.
“Right now, where we are, it feels right,” says Jay. “I’m a big believer in just going with your gut.”
“We’re just trying to do something that already exists everybody’s heart, but we’re going to try and do it the best that we can.”
Paradise Fish Shop will open to the public on Wednesday September 23 – stay tuned for more.
Want to see more stories from InDaily Qld in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily Qld as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily Qld". That's it.