For 200 years, Brits have been tucking into traditional deep-fried fish and thicker-than-the-French fries with a generous dose of salt and vinegar. Those old enough will even remember their favourite meal coming neatly wrapped in last week’s news.
At your typical fish and chips takeaway restaurant, the thought of serving fish with a dill side salad and a glass of fine wine is laughable. But a new generation of fish and chips restaurants is gaining popularity in London, and even the snootiest of eateries have started including the dish on their menu.
Some £1.2 billion (AU$2.3 billion) is spent on Fish and Chips at 10,500 restaurants around the UK each year, said organisers of Britain’s annual National Fish and Chip Awards.
And this comes as no surprise considering the makeover that the meal has had. This new wave of fish and chip restaurants serve their fish in beer batter with side dish options including fennel or dill salads, and offers a craft beer or luxurious wine to wash it down. Oh, and it can cost you anything around £18.25 (AU$35), several times the price of your average chippie.
Last month, Frankie’s in the Shetland Isles, off the northeast coast of Scotland, was named Britain’s best fish and chip shop, reported AFP.
The shop’s manager, John Gold, explains that his fish are the freshest as they come from the North Sea, right off the doorstep.
“Everybody loves fish and chips, everybody can tell you a story when they first had their fish and chips… Even Prince Charles,” said Gold.
Top images by Shutterstock.com via Bochkarev Photography and David Kay
