Trenchers Restaurant & Takeaway

Trenchers, fish & chips and seafood in the North of England since 1980

Trenchers is a hospitality company specialising in fish & chips and seafood that has been operating in the North of England since 1980. Its offering combines a restaurant and a takeaway service, with a menu that includes a restaurant menu, a children's menu and a takeaway menu. The company presents itself as a multi-award winner and traces its origins to Whitby, where it opened its first site.

History and evolution

The first Trenchers opened in 1980 and quickly became a popular establishment among locals and visitors alike. It began as a fish & chips and seafood restaurant, with a menu designed to make the most of the fresh produce available in the area. During the 1980s, its reputation spread throughout Yorkshire and beyond, building loyalty among customers who returned time and again. The company notes that much of the menu and many of its suppliers have remained the same since then, with continuous improvement as a priority.

More than forty years after opening, the restaurant continues to attract diners and has added a takeaway service. The company acknowledges adaptations over the decades — changes to the furniture, updates to the kitchen equipment and a partial revision of the menu — but states that the character of the venue has remained. In 2019 it received the award for Best Fish and Chip Restaurant in the UK at the National Fish and Chip Awards, presented by Seafish and NFFF, and won it again in 2026. In the summer of 2018 it opened Trenchers Spanish City, in Whitley Bay, and in the autumn of 2024 it added Tide by Trenchers, in Whitby.

Product and suppliers

The company states that its cod, haddock and plaice are wild and come from sustainable, well-managed fishing grounds, and that it requires written documentation from its suppliers to that effect, available to customers on request. The fresh salmon is farmed off the coast of the Shetland Isles. The fresh crab meat is caught in sustainable areas off the coast of Whitby, in areas 37 and 38. The chips are prepared daily on the premises and made with fresh British potatoes, Maris Piper variety or similar. Used oils and fats are collected by a specialist company to be turned into biodiesel, and the takeaway packaging is environmentally friendly.

According to the company's data, an average portion of fish and chips contains 595 calories and 9.42 g of fat per 100 g, information provided by the Seafish Authority. The light, crispy batter contains wheat flour, although a gluten-free option is available on request.

Locations and services

The company operates several establishments under different names: Trenchers Bowness, in Bowness on Windermere; Trenchers New Quay Road, in Whitby; Trenchers Spanish City, in Whitley Bay; Tide by Trenchers, in Whitby; and the Seashore Apartments, also in Whitby. Each location has its own page on the website. The restaurant service is complemented by takeaway sales.

Reservations and access rules

The restaurant operates primarily on a walk-in basis. Only limited reservations are accepted for groups of seven people or more; for smaller groups the company advises simply turning up and a table will be assigned as soon as possible. Pets are not allowed in the restaurant.

Seashore Apartments

The company manages two holiday apartments in the centre of Whitby, a short distance from the harbour and overlooking the swing bridge. They are presented as accommodation offering a touch of luxury and plenty of comfort for visitors to the town.

Location and contact

Trenchers of Whitby, New Quay Road, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO21 1DH · Phone: 01947 603212 · Email: enquiries@trenchersrestaurant.co.uk