THE owner of a longstanding fish and chip shop in Balloch has spoken about his decision to sell up after more than 30 years in the area - and has described how grateful he is to his customers for their support.

Franco Palombo has run Palombo’s chippy since 1990 - first in Alexandria and, since 1996, on Balloch Road.

But last week it was announced that the business had been sold to the family which owns the Blue Lagoon chain.

Franco described to the Reporter how he took over Palombo’s from his dad, Ernie, who arrived in Scotland in 1934, aged just 14, after the family emigrated from Villa Latina, a small village in the Lazio region, south-east of Rome.

Ernie met his wife Ida in Scotland and the couple opened the first Palombo’s fish and chip shop in Alexandria in 1967.

Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter:

Franco took over the running of the chippy in 1990 and moved it to its Balloch home six years later.

Since then it has become a favourite eatery for both locals and Loch Lomond day-trippers, while the B&B upstairs has done a brisk trade with visitors to the area.

Franco told the Reporter: “I remember my dad well. The shop he opened was the one in Alexandria which is still there, and is still in the family, but is now called Ernie’s Plaice.

“We’ve had a lot of messages come in relating to my mum and dad.

“There was a chap that messaged from Ontario and he said he had fond memories of the ice cream my mum and dad used to make in Bonhill - this was in the late fifties.

“It’s people that have emigrated and left the country, they remember what they left when they were young men and women.

"It’s good to be in their memories.”

Palombo’s is now being refurbished with a tropical theme as part of its transformation into the 15th Blue Lagoon chippy in Scotland.

“I got a job application this morning, and had to pass it on to the new owners," Franco continued. “Of course I’ll head down and check out the new Blue Lagoon.

“I think we’ve done it long enough.

"I’ve been doing this since 1990. It’s been such a big part of our lives for so long, my wife’s and mine.

“It’s going to take a lot of getting used to.

"We worked on a daily basis, seven days a week, and we always had something to do.

“My wife was the front of house so the thing I’ll miss the most is cooking and frying the fish and chips.

"It’s been such a great part of my life.

“We’ve kept the B&B on, and hopefully that keeps us busy. It’s currently being renovated but hopefully falls into the period we’re allowed people back - it will be busy this year because everyone will be staying in Britain.”

A spokesman for the Varese family, which owns the Blue Lagoon chain, said: “We are really excited and eager to get this branch open as we have always been very keen to open a Blue Lagoon branch as close to Loch Lomond as possible.”

The company plans to create up to 20 new jobs and to reopen the premises this summer.

READ MORE: Blue Lagoon buys Palombo's fish and chip shop in Balloch