Former Edinburgh chip shop owner with rich family history dies aged 82

One time Brattisani's fish and chip shop owner Joe Brattisani has passed away at the age of 82.

He died peacefully on July 14 after a short illness, a death notice published in the Evening News today (July 21) reads.

Mr Brattisani's funeral will take place at Branxton Parish Church, Northumberland, on Monday, July 27, at 11am.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, attendance at the funeral will be invitation only.

Brothers Joe and Charles Brattisani were once in charge of one of Edinburgh’s best-loved businesses – a tale which began well over a century ago.

Their forebears emigrated to Edinburgh from Parma, Italy in the 1870s, and were one of the first wave of Italian families to settle in the city.

Opened in 1889 by Joe and Charles' grandfather, the original fish and chip shop was located on Church Lane, Stockbridge – the Capital’s first ever Italian-owned chippy.

When their grandfather enlisted with the Italian army during the First World War, the shop was kept going by his wife.

Thankfully, Brattisani senior survived the war, and upon returning to Edinburgh the pair decided to open a new outlet – the Deep Sea – on Union Place.

Eventually sold on to the Crolla family, the Deep Sea was long-regarded as the finest chippy in the Capital.

Following the demolition of Union Place in 1970, the Deep Sea moved to Antigua Street where it remains to this day.

Next to be handed the Brattisani fish and chips baton was Charles and Joe’s dad, Joseph, who would go on to be known locally as “Mr Chips”.

Joseph owned five restaurants at one time or another throughout Edinburgh. Charles and Joe followed in their father’s footsteps.

Charles Brattisani opened his first shop in 1961, lending the family name to what became a very popular fish and chip restaurant on Henderson Row. Meanwhile, Joe ran another busy chippy on Brougham Place, Tollcross.

The Haymarket and Newington branches – the most famous of all the Brattisani-run eateries – were opened in 1966 and 1970 respectively.

Both of these chip shops survived for over three decades.

True institutions, they were the first chip shop to receive a four-star rating from VisitScotland, and renowned enough for local crime writer Ian Rankin to name-drop them in his Inspector Rebus novels.

Mr Brattisani was a loving husband to his late wife Muriel, loving dad to Samantha, Elaine and Joseph as well as a loving brother to Maria, Eric and Charles and grandfather to Olivia.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.

Subscribe to the Edinburgh Evening News online and enjoy unlimited access to trusted, fact-checked news and sport from Edinburgh and the Lothians. Visit https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director