Who owns Golden Chippy? Council officials order award-winning fish and chip shop in London to remove Union Flag mural

An award-winning fish and chip shop located in Greenwich, southeast London, known as the Golden Chippy, has been ordered by city council officials to take down a mural featuring the Union Jack. Chris Kanizi, the owner of the establishment, explained to The Telegraph that the mural was intended "to put a smile on people's faces."

According to a Greenwich Council spokesman:

"Following a number of complaints made to local ward councilors, an enforcement case was raised about the mural in question."

The artwork, painted a month ago for £250, features chips and a humanoid fish holding a Union Jack flag and a slogan saying, "A Great British Meal."

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This is not the first time the renowned fish and chip shop was ordered to take down its mural

City authorities defended their position by citing that the restaurant is located in a conservation area, making the mural inappropriate. According to Planning Aid England, a conservation area is an area of "special architectural or historic interest," making its "character, appearance, or setting" protected by certain legislation. The spokesperson added:

"Our Planning Enforcement team is investigating this as it is effectively an unauthorized advert for the chip shop. The owner has agreed to paint over it."

The council stated its intention to negotiate with the Golden Chippy owner before sending a "formal planning enforcement notice."

In response, Chris Kanizi highlighted that the said fish and chip mural has been a draw for many customers, and no one has raised any complaints. He noted that several patrons, rather than complaining, appreciated the artwork and even captured selfies with the mural in the background. Stressing his decision to hold back painting over it, Chris stated:

"I’m going to stick it out for as long as I can. They haven’t given me a date to paint over it yet, but they will."

This is not the first time the southeast London fish and chip shop has been ordered by the city authorities to take down an artwork. Kanizi, who migrated to the UK from Cyprus, was ordered to take down similar signage above his door in 2016.

The sign displayed over his door was about 17 feet high and featured a similar fish and chip design with a Union Jack flag. City authorities at the time also cited complaints from locals and patrons to call it an "unauthorized advertisement."

As per an article on the joint's website, this led to a two-year battle with city officials, ultimately resulting in a 3300-signature petition that prevented the removal of the signage.

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Chris Kanizi arrived in London in 1977, intending to pursue a career in medicine. However, he ended up opening The Golden Chippy in 2005. The fish and chip joint was voted London's number-one restaurant on TripAdvisor in 2016.