Here's our story
“Since 1982, my family have been putting their heart and soul into making the very best fish and chips Machynlleth has to offer.
In 1982, my parents converted an old corner shop into the Hennighan’s we know and love today. Soon after its opening, I took up work as a part-time fryer, and when my parents retired in 1998, the business was handed over to me and my lovely wife, Eleanor. Nowadays, our three daughters work full-time across both shops, and I hope that someday they will take on the business and continue the family tradition of making award-winning fish and chips.
Although over 40 years have passed since my Mum and Dad opened the doors for the first time, I still have the same unwavering enthusiasm as we all did back then. From our hard work, we’ve achieved many industry awards and have been listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 fish and chips shops 3 times. We’re also heavily invested in the local community, with myself once winning an award for Townsperson of the Year.
We have made huge strides lately, apart from our Topshop takeaway, in July 2022 we opened an all-new Bottom Shop takeaway and sit-down restaurant with online ordering available for our Top and Bottom Shop locations.
I’m incredibly proud of what my family has achieved since 1982, and can’t wait to share our great-tasting food with you at Hennighan’s Machynlleth.”
– David Hennighan, Owner
Don’t just take our word for it
BBC News: Hennighan’s in Machynlleth named Wales’ best chippy
National Fish and Chip Awards
Hennighan’s Fish & Chip Top Shop, 2025/26 Good Food Award winner
The Seafish website
The Fisk fishing trawlers
The team
Originally, the restaurant was run by my parents, Richard and Janet, but nowadays it’s down to me, my wife Eleanor and our three brilliant daughters (Anna, Jemma and Nina) to keep things ticking.
On top of my family, we also have amazing part-time staff who make sure everything runs smoothly, including our most recent addition, Sam.
Our food
We know that as responsible fish and chip shop owners, all of our fish must be responsibly sourced. That’s why we only ever buy fish that is from sustainable, well-managed fish stocks in the beautiful Barents Sea. We offer fully gluten-free alternatives every day, such as gluten-free batter and delicately steamed cod upon request, as well as delicious vegetarian and vegan options.
We care
With family and community at our heart, it’s only natural that we care deeply about our planet. To ensure we do all we can, all cardboard and plastic containers are recycled. We also have biodegradable boxes, so please ask us about these next time you pop by.
We use a MEFF fryer with a triple-filtration system and oil chefs built in, allowing us to minimise oil waste and ensure that our food is only cooked in clean, fresh oil. We recently introduced a new, sustainable dishwasher that vastly reduces water and chemical waste, using recycled water and an automated detergent dosage system.
Environmentally friendly
We recycle all of our cans and turn them into cash once we’ve reached a tonne in aluminium. Please bring your cans back to us. Let’s save the environment together, one can at a time.
Sustainability
Hennighan’s Machynlleth is pleased to say that we only use British-grown potatoes and fully sustainable fish. At Hennighan’s, we are able to track down the exact vessel and shipping date of all of the fish we cook. Initiatives like these are why Hennighan’s was awarded Top 3 in the 2024 UK Environmental and Sustainability Awards.
If you would like to know more about our sustainable, award-winning fish and chips, please ask in store. All staff are trained to a high standard and are happy to tell you more about our sustainability journey.
Award winning
- Seafish Quality Award 2001–2006, 2013-2015
- Wales Runner up 2001 and 2002
- Regional Runner up 2003
- Powys Hygiene Award
- UK 50 Best Fish and Chip Shop by the Independent 2005
- Waitrose Illustrated Ten of the Best List 2005
- Best Shop in the UK Contribution to Our Community 2007
- Wales Winner 2004 and 2014
- Hennighan’s Top Shop was the Best Fish and Chip Shop in Wales, 2014.
- Independent Takeaway of the Year winner for Wales, 2014 2017
- Community Award in National Fish and Chip Awards 2014
- Runner up in UK for the Marketing and Innovation Award 2015
- Finalists for the Takeaway of the Year in the Food Awards Wales 2015.
- Wales Runner Up in National Fish and Chip Awards 2016.