The north's recently-crowned best independent chip shop has been forced to pull down the shutters after its owners Rosepark Trading Ltd were wound up owing more than £300,000.
Fish City at Belfast Road in Ballynahinch has posted a notice declaring that it has closed "because its tenants are in administration".
It is owned by Grainne Lavery (52), who is the principal shareholder of Rosepark Trading, which was incorporated in August 2010.
She worked in the award-winning chippy along with her husband John.
A winding up order was served at the end of July, and a London-based administrator subsequently appointed to the business.
The administrator's report shows that Rosepark, trading as Fish City, had zero assets but liabilities of £305,989.
Its main creditor is HM Revenue & Customs, to which it owes more than half that total (£173,000).
The company also owe Land & Property Services just shy of £6,000 in rates, while other creditors include suppliers - and also Grainne Lavery herself (£31,000).
Fish City won the best independent chip shop in Northern Ireland in the 2015 Seafish National Fish and Chip Awards.
Described as "a forward-thinking modern fish frying business", Fish City also recently gained its Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.
In a video produced (and still available online) to mark the business's national success, owners Grainne and John Lavery discuss how they are striving to produce the best quality, sustainable and healthy product and how by working with the local industry they are offering locally sourced scallops for the first time to their customers.
“We believe in only using the finest quality products, providing high quality, healthy food in an innovative and contemporary manner,” say husband-and-wife owners John and Grainne Lavery.
“Our favourite food is our cod supper, sourced from sustainable shoals, coated in a light batter from a secret recipe handed down from Grainne’s parents.”
