A FISH and chip shop owner is retiring after more than 50 years of serving his customers.

John Alonzi, who has owned Maindee Fish Bar, in Livingstone Place, Newport, since 1965 had his last day of serving chips on Thursday after deciding to sell the shop.

The 67-year-old said his last day in the shop was “very emotional” but will now spend some time in Italy, where his family originally emigrated from.

He said: “I have done this all of my life and I am going to miss my customers.

“I have been serving them for 52 years.

“Every day has been special for me.

“I have just sold the shop, but I am not 100 per cent sure what is going to happen with it, whether it is going to stay as a fish and chips shop.”

Mr Alonzi has been running the shop on his own for the past eight years, but a few years ago had to cut the hours he was working to look after his mother.

His family have been in the business for more than 100 years after his grandfather, Giovanni Gambrini, moved to Ebbw Vale in 1910 and opened two fish and chip shops.

Mr Alonzi’s parents then opened a number of fish and chip shops around Newport in the 50s and 60s, including Maindee Fish Bar which opened in 1965, while he was still in school.

His uncle ran Victoria Fish Bar in Corporation Road until the 1990s and his cousin ran a fish and chip shop in Cardiff Road until a couple of years ago.

Mr Alonzi said he said he had “wonderful customers” and he wanted to thank all of them for their support over the years.

A Facebook post on Tuesday received more than 150 likes and 50 comments of people thanking him and wishing him well in his retirement.