Green Frog: Here's what we were told about what happened to Preston's famous food van - but the mystery deepens

The van, which has served Preston’s docklands since 1989 suddenly disappeared, and a new van – Surf N Turf – can be seen trading in its place.

Unable to glean any information on the situation when we approached Surf N Turf, we asked Preston Council – the street trader licensing authority – what they knew.

What does Preston City Council say about the Green Frog?

The council’s food hygiene team believe that the street trader who owned the Green Frog has simply changed the name and vehicle.

Here’s what they said: “The Green Frog was co-owned by two registered street traders from around December 2021.

"The business then went into single ownership, and the street trader decided to change the name and the vehicle while still trading from the same pitch. It was a commercial decision and nothing to do with the Council.

"So, while it looks like a new company has taken the pitch, in reality the consent holder has changed the vehicle and the name.”

What has Surf and Turf said about the Green Frog?

The council’s understanding of the situation seems to be in contradiction to what the Post was told.

When approached last week over what had happened to the Green Frog, a trader from Surf and Turf, which is now based at the Green Frog’s old pitch, told the Post reporter that the two businesses – Surf N Turf and The Green Frog – were completely unrelated.

What about Companies House about the Green Frog?

To check this out, we had a look at Companies House, where all businesses are registered.

Surf N Turf appears to be the trading name of The Docklands Fish and Chips, which lists Clifford Iddon as sole director.

Mr Iddon, 48, is also listed as being the active director of Green Frog Northwest Ltd, which was incorporated on January 12, 2022 and is registered to a business unit in Blackburn.

Confusingly though, there is a second business on Companies House, with links to the Green Frog.

It is called The Green Frog Preston Limited and has two active directors – Russell and Sarah Holden. This business was incorporared on April 22, 2022 and is registered to an address in Woodplumpton Road, Preston.