THEN & NOW: A-Z OF BRIGG EATERIES & TAKEAWAYS FROM K's TO MA's

There are many popular eateries and takeaway food establishments in Brigg town centre today, most of them using premises formerly utilised by other business ventures people may well remember with affection from earlier decades.
However, today's Hungry Fisherman, on Coney Court, enjoys a unique 'plaice' in this context.
A takeaway and restaurant, it occupies the ground floor of a building which has been selling fish and chips at least since the 1930s.
Gordon Neall's parents bought the business in 1941, having left the nearby White Hart pub they had been running.
The Coney Court eatery was acquired from Eli Hounslow - father of Geoff Hounslow, the tobacconist who ran Hounslow's shop adjoining the Buttercross for many years.
The Neall family had the Coney Court business for 48 years before selling it.
The long-established China Garden takeaway, on the corner of Wrawby Street and Queen Street, occupies premises formerly used by the renowned K's Corner Cafe (occasionally written as Korner). In the 1960s and 1970s, this was a popular meeting place for fans of two-wheeled transport, with its jukebox a particular attraction. Prior to K's, 42 Wrawby Street housed a grocer's and sweet shop.
Today's Golden City takeaway premises, on the corner of Wrawby Street and The Little Butchery, hosted Boots (the chemist) for some years prior to the national company switching to its now-familiar outlet midway along Wrawby Street in the 1970s.
Mamaris Pizza, towards the eastern end of Wrawby Street, is housed in premises whose previous uses were rather different.
The Little People (children's clothes) was owned and run by Mrs O'Neil. Prior to that a shop, operated by a lady called Gerda, sold baby clothes and wool.
In the 1870s a glass and china shop was evident at 45 Wrawby Street, run by William Blessed - an ancestor of famous actor Brian Blessed, who came to Brigg some years ago during filming for a TV programme about his family history.
Scalinis Fish & Chips (restaurant and takeaway) is well-established at 79 Wrawby Street. But how many customers calling in today realise they are inside a building formerly used by W. H. Smith, one of the world's most famous newsagents and book sellers?
As well as undertaking newspaper deliveries in Brigg, Smith's offered an efficient system for magazines and periodicals. Customers were assigned numbered folders inside which the latest issues of publications they had ordered were placed by staff, pending collection.
In the 1980s the Old School Restaurant, on the corner of Bigby Street and Princes Street, was providing steaks and other fare in a building now used by Pizza Jim to provide fast food. The Old School House was on two floors and took its name from an original Victorian use of this property as a seat of learning.
The Market Place's Cafe Courtyard is located on the ground floor of North Lincolnshire Council's Angel building which now provides a range of local services including the community hub, library and Heritage Centre. This followed earlier conversion of the centuries-old Angel Hotel (originally a coaching inn). The hotel closed in 1989.
The Cafe Courtyard is based in the former hotel entrance foyer, once featuring trailing vines, where meals and drinks were enjoyed through to the late 1980s.
La Finca, adjoining the Cafe Courtyard, utilises the one-time Angel Hotel off-licence shop.
At nearby 28A Market Place, YellowBelly Pizza (eat in or take away) uses a building which formerly housed Brambles Cafe and prior to that Sandwich Heaven.
The Deli & Diner at 13 Wrawby Street is housed in premises which were formerly a family restaurant.
Going back further in time, this was once the site of the Butchers Arms pub, owned by a Nottinghamshire brewery. This hostelry specialised in offering board and lodging to anglers who came by train from industrial areas of South Yorkshire in large numbers to fish the River Ancholme.
Prior to the Deli & Diner's arrival, these premises housed Ma's Pantry. From the 1970s onwards for some years, Bookmaker Alec King used the ground floor of 13 Wrawby Street.
The two-storey building on Old Courts Road which is now the Mumbai Lounge (restaurant with takeaway service) formerly housed Harry Wu's Kar Restaurant on two floors.
Cooplands bakery & takeaway sandwich shop at 70 Wrawby Street converted the former Shoefayre premises in 2008 to create its new outlet.
The Bengal Spice restaurant & takeaway at 6 Wrawby Street uses the ground floor of a building occupied for many years by Lynes Ropery, and later a clothes shop.
College Yard Cafe takes its name from the courtyard which one boasted residential properties as well as business premises. In the 1980s this pedestrian-only walkway was redeveloped to a high standard.
Shipley's CuriosiTEAS, on the corner of Wrawby Street and Cross Street, occupies premises which have seen various uses down the decades, including Richardson's newsagents (occupying part of the ground floor with a sweet shop next door) and later Jan's Pantry.
Groomers, the well-known hairdressing salon, originally used the Bigby Street building which is now utilised by the Diya Spice takeaway.
Brigg Kebab House is located in a lengthy row of retail units created by warehouse conversion in the 1980s, following the closure of the Spring & Co preserves factory. No. 11 had offered fish & chips courtesy of an earlier business venture.
At the other end of Springs Parade, adjoining the Market Place, the Steel Rooms (with cafe) today occupy premises where a games arcade once operated.

Also sited in a row of late 20th century units are butchers, bakers and sandwich makers Spelmans - facing the town's main car park on Old Courts Road.
Wrawby Street's Costa Coffee (also offering sweet snacks and sandwiches) uses a ground floor converted from the former Poundstretcher store. For some years the William Jackson grocery store/small supermarket traded here.
Gracie's Cafe, in the Market Place, converted the former Ink It UK computer printer accessories shop. Earlier, T. Mundey (family butcher) had used this building; by the late 1950s (see picture below) it had been established for 300 years!
Teasdales (bakers) operates from 61 Wrawby Street in an impressive row of retail premises which won the Brigg Town Council Civic Building Award a few years ago.
The Loft restaurant at 10 Wrawby Street (above Grandad's Shed) is in a building whose former uses include offices for DDM and also the Wold Florist.
Today's Curry Corner takeaway at 20 Market Place (adjoining Elwes Street) utilises the long converted showrooms of a quality furniture and furnishings business, Woolliams & Eyre (also selling glass & pottery items). Food-related ventures since then have included La Buca and Le Raj restaurants; more recently, the Brigg Tandoori takeaway.
Now owned by Wetherspoon's, the White Horse pub, on Wrawby Street, is also a restaurant offering meals throughout the day. Much enlarged by the present owner, these licensed premises date back to the 18th century. Ward's Brewery (Sheffield) operated the hostelry for many decades.
Also still providing a full meals service and menu is the historic Lord Nelson Hotel, in the Market Place, using premises enlarged in the 1980s by incorporating an adjoining shop. More recently, the Old Mill Brewery's Lord Nelson received a Brigg Town Council award, following tasteful refurbishment.

Blyton Ice Cream's parlour at 37A Wrawby Street offers pancakes in addition to ices from a retail unit created from what was once part of Brigg Fire Station and originally adjoined the Sutton, Bean Brewery.
Please note that we've defined 'town centre' for this feature article as being Wrawby Street, Bigby Street, the Market Place and premises in connecting courts.
Brigg Blog's thanks go to local historian Josie Webb, who has kindly taken the time and trouble to fill in some gaps in our knowledge/memory about the previous uses of some of these premises.

PICTURED AT THE TOP OF OUR POST: Jean and Gordon Neall busy in their Coney Court 'chippy' in the 1980s, and the premises today (inset) now the Hungry Fisherman (under different ownership); Ma's Restaurant in the 1990s with today's familiar Deli & Diner beneath. 

 

 

 

Andrew Percy MP visiting Brambles Cafe, Market Place, in 2011. It was located in premises now used by YellowBelly Pizza (below).