School of fish: The head teacher who works in a chip shop

Head teacher Lee Humphreys dons his apron on the weekends to work in his chip shop

By day head teacher Lee Humphreys is in charge of hundreds of pupils at a south Wales high school.

But by night, he swaps his suit for an apron and steps behind the counter of his chippie.

The Pencoedtre High School head spends his weekends in the restaurant he bought on a whim.

Mr Humphreys and wife Sam have run their chip shop in south Wales since 2018 after he spotted the shop was up for auction.

Mrs Humphreys runs Fish Kitchen 1854 day-to-day but her other half does shifts at the end of the week.

"I still work every Friday and Saturday and pitch in through the week," the 44-year-old said.

"It's busy but I would not have it any other way. The kids think I'm crazy."

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The pupils at his comprehensive school near Barry, Vale of Glamorgan are fascinated by how he spends his spare time.

"They are interested and they are intrigued," Mr Humphreys said.

"It's strange for them to see the headmaster battering fish on a Friday."

They have dubbed him Mr Chips.

Pupils at Pencoedtre High School have nicknamed him Mr Chips

He has yet to start helping with the school canteen.

"I have joked about it with the canteen ladies but it's only tongue in cheek," he said.

"Something will present itself and I'll take my uniform into school."

As the shop is in Maesycwmmer, Caerphilly county is around 20 miles from the school, not many current pupils see him at work.

But word still gets out.

The shop is now up for an award along with another Caerphilly chip shop called Ship Deck

"Something comes up on the web, and the next thing parents tell the children and then they ask, 'Do you work in a fish shop sir?" Mr Humphreys said.

"And I say yes, come and have a look."

It has helped him connect with pupils, he said.

The fish shop has become one of two Welsh chippies to be nominated for Takeaway of the Year at The National Fish and Chip Awards 2023.

The other candidate, 15 minutes drive away, is Ship Deck in Trethomas, Caerphilly county.

Mrs Humphreys said: "We entered this competition and now we are in the top 20.

"We're on pins because we've got to get through to the next 10, and the final 10 get to go to a ceremony in London.

"So we hope our customers keep voting - it's customer and industry voting."

The 43-year-old said they had "as good a chance as anyone" of winning.

National Federation of Fish Friers president, Andrew Crook, was unaware of any other head teachers who worked in chip shops.

"I don't think there are many that do both but we get people from all walks of life. I did computer programming at university but I like dealing with people.

"Chip shops seem to attract big characters."

Andrew Crook, from the National Federation of Fish Friers, said Mr Humphreys was the only head teacher he knew of in the trade

He said Fish Kitchen 1854 and Ship Deck were both in with a chance.

"They are both good businesses and they both know what they are doing," he said.

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