It's the end of an era for the shop on the busy corner of Albert Street and fish and chip connoisseurs who covet home cut chips. The Green Parrot is believed to be one of the last in the area to make their own chips, which are hand cut from local potatoes.

Gayl Brennan has owned the shop for the past 16 1/2 years and worked for the previous owners for 10 years before that.

She cannot even begin to guess how many tonnes of fish, chips and potato cakes she's served over the counter over the decades, but there's tens of kilograms of chips alone every day they are open.

When local spuds are in season the chips are the main attraction, with people driving past countless other fish and chip shops on their way to the Green Parrot. One man came in from Creswick last week because he heard the home cut chips were back on the menu after a break caused by lack of supply.

Having the chips back on the menu is the "last hurrah" for Ms Brennan and her son in law Dean Forrester as they prepare to shut up shop.

Ms Brennan, who worked behind the counter, is retiring and Mr Forrester has decided on a change after cooking at the fryer for many years.

Little has changed since Ms Brennan and her husband Noel took over the shop, thinking it would be their retirement nest egg. Sadly Mr Brennan passed away eight years ago which was when Mr Forrester stepped up.

The recipes used in the shop are practically the same as they were almost 50 years when well-known fish and chip icon Peter Frangos converted the milkbar in to a fish and chipper in the early 1970s.

"Each new owner has learned off the previous one. The recipes are the same ... that's never changed, people like it," she said.

"Our hamburgers are renowned - we make our own meatballs."

The most popular items on the menu are the traditional fish, chips, potato cakes and dim sims.

A few extras have been added to the menu - battered cabana and deep-fried Mars bars are two that stick in Ms Brennan's mind though she's not personally a huge fan of either ... but plenty of others are.

Ms Brennan is looking forward to putting her feet up in retirement. She has been working about 50 hours a week behind the counter, with countless extra hours of bookwork, stock arranging and banking on top of that.

"It will be nice to have a Sunday off. I've never had a Sunday off - I'm usually there all day," she said.

"Another big bonus is I won't have to work on Good Friday. I've work every Good Friday for 25 years and will probably be at a loss what to do - I'll have to stay home and cook fish and chips!"

The customers have been the highlight of Ms Brennan's 26 years on the corner of Albert and Bridge streets.

"I've seen kids come in that were knee-high to a grasshopper who used to come in with their older siblings who now come in with their own kids," she said.

"It makes you feel old but the customers are absolutely fabulous. People love to come in and have a talk - I'm quite a chatterbox. You don't get that interaction at a fast food restaurant."

A new owner has purchased the building but is looking for someone to take on the leasehold.

"I'm interested how I'm going to be when I close on Friday, but I do know it's going to be a busy day," she said.

"Lots of people have promised to come in for a last serve of fish and chips. We'll close at 8.30pm if we don't sell out before that."

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