OH MY COD
Binley Mega Chippy – Mystery as fish shop becomes sensation in days with customers from AUSTRALIA
A FISH and chips shop has become an overnight sensation with customers travelling from as far as AUSTRALIA to the West Midlands for a takeaway.
Binley Mega Chippy in Coventry has boomed in the last few days thanks to an online viral jingle - leaving chip shop staff and its owner completely baffled.
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Hordes of cult followers have shown up at the takeaway - some travelling miles and wearing fan t-shirts - in a bid to see the iconic shop in real life.
People flying in from Portugal and Australia also stopped off at Binley Mega Chippy to try their fish, chips and mushy peas after seeing waves of videos about it online.
Thought to be caused by locals who love the shop, the internet craze has caused hundreds of people to queue outside just to take a picture by the takeaway's sign.
An account named welovebinleymegachippy popped up on TikTok - and shared a jingle in appreciation of the chip shop - which then went viral.
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As a result videos of the Coventry takeaway shop have become a massive success - with clips dedicated to the chippy gaining millions of views.
Since then, the shop's been featured in stunning reviews and has spawned numerous parody accounts, memes, and comedy clips.
Keen punters have filled the streets around the chippy to grab their £4.99 'Morbius Meal' - fish and chips, mushy peas and a can of fizzy drink - after it went viral instantly.
Dozens of teens were seen taking pictures under the iconic red and yellow sign - keen to show off to pals that they've visited the local spot.
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Bemused Kamal Gandhi, the shop’s owner, said: "I have no idea what happened.
"Thursday it started to get busy, and I noticed people out the front taking pictures.
"I was just like, ‘What are people doing?’ We assume someone local who likes the food has made the song and it’s just gone viral.”
Gandhi, who bought the shop eight months ago, said that he doesn't even have a Twitter or TikTok account for the chippy.
But he's "not complaining" about the boom in business and he's already called in extra staff to help with the random increase in customers.
He added: "We are not going to complain. We have to order more stuff, because if it stays like this, we won’t be able to cope.
"We will have to see how the week pans out … We have to be prepared, we don’t want to run out of food. We are having to bring all the staff in.
TIKTOK SENSATION
“I think the novelty will wear off, we do know that. But you never know, it could continue throughout the summer.”
The owner said on Monday he had one customer who jumped off a flight from Australia - and had hired a car and drove straight to Binley Mega Chippy.
Customers have swarmed from all parts of the UK too, including Essex, Portsmouth, and Dundee.
Josh Perks, 18, made an eight hour round trip from his home in Portsmouth with two pals after seeing the takeaway trending on TikTok.
He said: "We just thought it would be a laugh, we wanted to see what the fuss was about.
"It was great fun, there was a bit of a party atmosphere going on. I don't think the staff there can get their heads around what is really going on."
Student Ben Bradley, 19, from Coventry, added: "I met a bloke who had come over from France.
"Who comes from France to Coventry? Some lads from Scotland came too.
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"It's bonkers but the most British thing ever. It certainly shows the power of social media. It's like a festival around here.
"It has to be the most famous destination in Coventry right now and it's just our local chip shop."
Foodie influencer Mashtag Brady, 28, from Derby, said: "It was like travelling to Mecca, it's like it has become a place of worship.
"I saw loads of other famous TikToker influencers there as well, it's the place to be at the minute, everybody just wants to be part of the moment.
"There was even a guy outside offering free hair cuts, its become the place to promote other businesses too. It's crazy.
LOCAL CHIPPY SUCCESS
"But in reality the place is just a bang average chippy, but that's what's so funny about it.
"I had battered sausage, chips and curry sauce with a can of coke and it came to about £6.50, so it was reasonably priced.
"I was beginning to wonder if it was all a big prank as I hadn't actually seen any videos of people eating there.
"But when I got there, the queue was out of the door. It was rammed. They must be making a mint.
"Some of the lads said they had travelled three hours on three buses to get there. People are coming from all over."
Two teenage girls, who had travelled from Nottinghamshire to visit the chippy wearing Binley Mega Chippy Mega Fan T-shirts, told the : "We saw it on TikTok.
"It’s just quite random and that’s what makes it funny.
"We made the T-shirts to wear when we came, and they gave us a free bottle of lemonade and photos with them.
“I’m not normally a fish and chip person, but for Binley Mega Chippy I had to have some.”
BINLEY MEGA CHIPPY
Another three pals travelled from London to the shop - after seeing it online and finding the content hilarious.
Angus, Taylor, and Amir said: "We were on a call this morning, laughing about the Binley Mega Chippy and one of us was just, like, ‘Should we go?’
“I think it’s one of those things where it’s so random, it’s funny.
"They didn’t even make the song themselves, and they have got so much free publicity.”
Mum Rachel Charlton said: "It’s absolutely ludicrous. They are just all obsessed with TikTok.
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"Yesterday we were in the middle of deepest, darkest Wales on a mountain for a mountain biking race and we could hear people talking about it. So we just had to come.”
And people living in the area have been left completely confused - after popping down to their local but finding the shop packed out.
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