UK NEWS

Man Battered by Fish Shop

Harry and Ramsden, the names go together like, well, fish and chips. Although it is now the world’s largest purveyor of this most traditional of British dishes (over 12,000 portions sold a day and an annual turnover of £9 million), Harry Ramsden’s chain grew from humble beginnings. The first shop, a small wooden hut, was opened by the company’s founder (Harry Ramsden) in the small Yorkshire town of Guisley in 1928. Its position, at the terminus for the Leeds and Bradford trams, however, ensured its success. So much so, in fact, that 3 years later, a new fish and chip restaurant, called Harry Ramsden’s, was opened at the same site. This was a fish and chip shop with a difference, however, being a veritable emporium, the largest in the world. It was also one of the most opulent. The windows were leaded, the tables were decked with linen tablecloths and silver vases and the walls were covered with a mural depicting an ocean liner disappearing over the horizon. On summer days, the diners were even entertained by a pianist (originally Harry Corbett, who later became famous for being the hand in the glove puppet, Sooty).

Since that time the Harry Ramsden’s chain has become an international business with outlets in Australia, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Singapore, as well as restaurants throughout the UK, including Heathrow airport. Although the founder of the chain never sought trade mark protection for his own, famous name, his successors now own UK and CTM registrations for Harry Ramsden, Harry Ramsden’s and the distinctive stylised form of Harry Ramsden’s that is used by the restaurants.

Harresh Faroque Miah Ramadan has little in common with the original cod father, Harry Ramsden, except perhaps humble beginnings. The Bangladesh born businessman opened an Indian takeaway in Stanley Co. Durham, but the call for curries in that part of the world is apparently not very high and the venture was not a success. Harresh therefore hit upon the idea of converting his operation to a fish and chip shop. He also decided to rename it Harry Ramadan’s and to choose a typeface that was coincidentally very close to that of Harry Ramsden’s.

Unsurprisingly, the larger enterprise took a dim view of Mr Ramadan’s activities and, before their image took too much of a battering, were considering trade mark infringement action. For the time being, however, Mr Ramadan appears to remain unrepentant, being quoted as saying “My name is Harresh Ramadan and everybody calls me Harry. Haven’t Harry Ramsden’s got bigger fish to fry?”