In a tale as British as queuing for a bus that never comes, the humble fish and chip shop is staring down the barrel of a existential crisis. Soaring fish prices, labour costs, and changing tastes are all conspiring to make the seaside staple as endangered as a panda with a nicotine habit. But is this truly the end, or will a few plucky innovators manage to keep the deep fryers bubbling?

Take the Plaice Station in Padgate, Cheshire. Back in 2007, Darren Sudlow, a joiner by trade, drove past the old stationmaster's house, noticed it was empty, and decided to lease it. His son, Kieran, then 11, recalls: "He just fell in love with the place. He said he always wanted a fish and chip shop, for some reason." Despite no prior experience, Darren made a go of it, and the shop was a success from day one. "He worked like mad to get it open and then realised that the hard work hadn't even started, and he had a queue out the door," says Kieran, now 30.

The family lived nearby, and Kieran worked at the Plaice Station as a boy, peeling potatoes, washing dishes after school, then cooking at the range when he was 16. He became a chef, worked in Australia for a few years, and returned to help out part-time when needed. Business had always been pretty good. They won local awards and had a loyal customer base. But one day in March, Kieran remembers, his father came in and told him: "I think the fish and chip shop's going to go. It's not making money. I can't see it carrying on."

And so, another British institution finds itself on the chopping block, done in by the twin evils of economics and the fact that people apparently want to eat things other than fried cod. The question remains: can the chippy survive, or will it join the ranks of Blockbuster and the dodo? Only time, and perhaps a government subsidy for batter, will tell.