Our Story

A family legacy

It is difficult to speak about Falkirk without also mentioning Falcone’s, a family run business with a history stretching back 43 years. It produces what many people say are the best-tasting, highest quality fish and chips in the area.

It all began in 1977, when Giuseppe Falcone and his wife Maria took ownership having moved from Edinburgh where they had already built a strong reputation for being excellent Fryers, hardworking and dedicated to their craft.

Commonly known as ‘Joe & Marie’, working 7 days a week, they quickly established a service producing delicious food in a uniquely warm and friendly atmosphere. New customers came from near and far to try Fish & Chips at its very best. As the pubs and bars emptied late at night, it was a given that the Falcone shop lights would still be on past closing time as they cleaned. Receiving many a knock at the locked door, punters would be welcomed back in and the shop reopened for a couple of more hours to make them something to eat whilst talking into the night as customers and friends.

Joe’s deep understanding of fish and the entire end to end process from sea to land was honed from his early mornings at the fish market where he would select his fish and take them back for gutting and filleting.

He galvanised a strong relationship with all his various supply merchants who listened and respected what he had to say about the quality of their produce and constantly pushed them to produce and source the very best available.

The hard work paid off and the shop’s popularity soared growing into the business it is today. It was awarded the Best Chip Shop in Scotland in 2004 and has adapted as the decades have passed but always staying true to what matters- customers and quality food. Joe and Marie retired in 2008 after a long and successful career.

Building for Tomorrow.

In 2020, after a spell outside original family leadership, Giuseppe handed over the reins to his second son Francesco, preserving the DNA of what makes Falcone’s special.

He has inherited his parents exacting standards and willingness to always please customers. His goal to take the food business into the future whilst still being grounded in the values it became known for.

The menu now includes a wider range of food than before, including freshly baked pizza, burgers and their famous fritters, Francesco offers deliveries and on-line ordering through app or website.

You can still expect to see Joe and Marie continue to make guest appearances from time to time, talking to old friends and to all the 200+ staff that often had their first job in the shop, many of whom their own children went on to also work in the shop.

It has been the greatest honour and privilege to serve the same families that have been valued clientele for generations. Every customer, old and new, receives a warm family welcome and we always look forward to seeing you.

Extract from the THORNS FROM THE THISTLE’ by Jeremy Hodges, Scottish Daily Mail, 28th August, 1996.

The argument that fast food is killing the art of mealtime conversation does not stand up to scrutiny in Falkirk, cultural hub of the nation. The locquacious JOE FALCONE, purveyor of fish suppers to the town’s café society, has long offered far more than a basic slap-it-on-the-counter, ‘Sauce or vinegar ?” service. You cannot so much as slip in a order for a single haggis without being greeted as a long lost friend. Now it seems he is using his love of conversation as a marketing tool. His ad in the local paper invites customers to-

‘Have a bit o’ patter wi’ your batter’