The History of Fusco’s Fish and Chips and Royal Fisheries
Fusco’s Fish and Chips began when Violet Fusco went to work for John Cross on Burgate in Pickering, North Yorkshire in the early 1950s. In 1956 John Cross retired so Violet and husband Dennis, who was a farm labourer, rented the shop from him. The shop became more and more busy. Dennis’s days on the farm became less as he helped Violet, who had taught him to fry. Their young son Peter, aged 9, also did his share of helping, chipping the spuds by hand and stoking up the coal-fired range.
The family decided to make the move to Whitby in 1968 and took over Royal Fisheries.
More staff were taken on at the Royal Fisheries in Whitby as it became more successful, including Carol who lived close-by. Peter and Carol were married in 1973 and took over the Royal Fisheries from Peter’s parents in 1979. Life was busy for the Fusco’s running the business and raising their family – three sons and a daughter..
When eldest son, Stuart, graduated from York he became more and more involved in the running of the business so it was decided to purchase a second outlet, Quayside, on Pier Road in Whitby, in 1999. For more about Quayside, please visit the Quayside website.
Peter sadly passed away in October 2006. The family, (including sons Adrian and Raymond and daughter, Maria), continue to run Royal Fisheries with the help of loyal staff. Violet sadly passed away in December 2017.
The late Peter Fusco.
