Like many caterers in the run up to the holidays, Agnes McMonagle has been busy interviewing for new recruits. “We’re a family restaurant so we’ve got a lot of children coming in with their parents. Our busiest time is when the schools are off, so we need to employ more staff and get them trained up ahead of time.” But McMonagles isn’t just your run-of-the-mill chippy – it has declared itself “the world’s most unique fish and chip restaurant”. And not without good reason. Having enjoyed great success with a chip van in Clydebank, Agnes and John McMonagle had a boat custom built in Campbeltown shipyard. It was then split into eight sections and transported to its new home on the Forth & Clyde Canal in the heart of Clydebank, where it was painstakingly reconstructed and put into service as a floating restaurant.

Trading as McMonagles, the restaurant opened on 7th November 1993, with the bow of the boat emblazoned with the name of Agnes and John’s eldest daughter, Debra Rose. John retired a few years ago, but Agnes still keeps a hand in when she isn’t busy with the grandkids. “I’m semi-retired now and Debra and her husband, Chris, have taken on the day-to-day running of the restaurant,” she says. Of course, fish and chips reigns supreme, with haddock and cod in high demand, but in a bid to keep things fresh, the team has been branching out with a host of new options. “They’re modernising the menu and bringing it up to date with all the foods that younger people want,” explains Agnes. “They don’t want just fish and chips – they want loaded fries, so they’ve come up with lots of new things on the menu.” New additions include Loaded Salt & Chilli Bites, comprising battered salt and chilli chicken bites with curry sauce and chilli flakes; Chips topped with chicken tikka, cheese and jalapenos; Heinz Beans with smoked sausage bites and cheese; and the most popular of all – Loaded Buffalo Macaroni Chips, featuring loaded fries with homemade macaroni, topped with cheese, buffalo sauce and jalapenos.

Pizzas and burgers are also on offer, and for those who can’t choose what to have, McMonagles Munchie Boxes may offer a solution. The £12 boxes provide a mix of goujons, mozzarella sticks, fritters, battered sausage, pizza crunch, chips and curry sauce. A kids’ version includes pizza crunch, nuggets, mozzarella sticks and fish fingers. The newer offerings are already proving popular with their target audience. “A younger crowd is coming in now,” says Agnes. “They used to use the takeaway, but now that we’ve updated the menu, they like to come upstairs to the restaurant.” Older folk are also fans. “We get a lot of old people because we do a pensioners’ fish tea – and we always get big bookings when they’re going to the pantomime.” Having owned the restaurant for over three decades, Agnes has fond memories of it over the years. She explains that a leisure centre used to be located near the boat and the restaurant was a popular meeting point. “Parents would say to their kids ‘wait at the boat’,” she explains. “They felt there was safety at the boat, and there's still that feeling to this day. Our customers are like family, they've known us for years.”

Tourists love McMonagles too. “We get people from all over – you can even go abroad, and people might know the boat!” Part of the reason the venue is so famous is because it boasts another unique addition. “We have a hatch where small boats can go past and they can pull in and we can serve them,” explains Agnes. “It’s the only Sail-Thru in the world!” The restaurant has also garnered plenty of column inches in the newspapers after picking up several accolades in recent years. It was crowned Best Restaurant Takeaway in Scotland for 2022 and 2023 at the Scottish Takeaway Awards, and 2023 winner of the Best Fish Tea in Scotland at the Scottish Fish & Chip Awards. Another reason for the restaurant’s popularity is its lively social media posts, which have amassed over 19,000 Facebook followers and more than 38,000 likes on TikTok. Quirky creations regularly go viral, such as a battered roll with chips, cheese and curry sauce; and the Full Scottish Breakfast Pizza, featuring a baked bean base with toppings of sausage, bacon, black pudding, haggis and fried eggs. The kitchen runs the length of the boat and staff cook from scratch where possible. “We make our own steak pie, macaroni, pizza dough, all our own toppings for spicy chicken, homemade soup, our own batter mix, our own curry sauce and gravy,” says Agnes. They also cater for food allergies and intolerances. “A lot of people are wheat intolerant, so we cater for gluten-free options,” she says. “Also, some choose it as they find it healthier and feel less bloated. “Because we have a big frying range, we can dedicate a pan to a gluten-free batter mix. A lot of chip shops do it one day a week, but we can do it any day.” While fish is sourced locally, around 70% of the restaurant’s stock is from Booker.

She claims that the firm’s service is second to none. “We get deliveries twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday. Sometimes I pop into the branch if I’m going to pay a bill, and I’ll have a wee wander and see if there’s anything that’s caught my eye.” One of the restaurant’s best finds from Booker is Gold Star Chip Shop Style Pickled Onions, which McMonagles deep fries in batter to make ‘Frickles’. They were initially created as “a bit of fun for Facebook,” but when 2,000 were sold in the first week, they were made a permanent addition to the menu and continue to be highly sought after. Beloved by locals and attracting plenty of new custom through its social channels, it’s full steam ahead for “the wee chippy boat”!