A former fish and chip shop worker has revealed the one item he would never order, and reveals the amount of prep that goes into making some of the nation’s favourite food
Fish and chips are a national favourite and something of a cultural institution, with Brits consuming approximately 382 million portions annually, and more than 10,500 chippies serving the dish.
Of course, there are an array of other items on the menu – be it battered sausages, fried chicken, mushy peas, pies, and in some places, deep-fried Mars bars.
But one former fish and chip shop worker has admitted there is a dish he would never order – and it might surprise fans of the food.
Jordan Luxford has shared some insight from his five years’ tenure working in various fish and chip shops along the south coast. Jordan, who served up fish and chips at Wimbledon in 2019, admitted that there’s one menu item he steers clear of.
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He told the Express: “I would never order a fried beef burger! If you want a decent burger get it from a shop with a hot plate to cook it on.
Explaining his top tips for ordering at your local chippy, he added: “If you want a freshly cooked item, go for something that isn’t in the glass top under the lights – but we would cook anything fresh if a customer asked anyway.
“Fried chocolate bars have always been popular, too. We would usually cook them for free alongside an order and as we wouldn’t have the chocolate bars in stock, the customer would be asked to bring them with them and we would cook them at the same time as the rest of their order.”
Jordan also spoke about the significant amount of effort that goes into preparing fish and chip shop food – especially the fries.
The business owner explained: “The amount of preparation time needed to get everything ready before opening was a huge surprise! It takes hours to cut a Friday night’s fish and even more hours to peel, inspect and cut 20 bags of potatoes. Prep for a Friday night, opening at 5.30pm would start at 10am.”
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It comes after a man set about visiting a whopping 120 fish and chip shops across the UK – before revealing his top five.
Stephen Peel has been eating at two fish and chip shops a week for the last 15 months in his quest to find the nation’s best chippies.
He started his ‘Chippy Tour’ to celebrate the iconic meal which he says the country is in danger of losing as many are being forced to close due to high costs.
On his tour, Stephen has been rating chippies out of five with the whole experience including customer service, cleanliness, presentation, alongside the food.
Green Lane Chippy in Leigh, Lancs, is his favourite so far, followed by The Old Forge Cafe in Bugle, Cornwall.
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Stephen, from Penketh, Warrington, said: “I’ve tried quite a lot of chippies so far on this journey but it has never gotten old – I still look forward to eating them every single time. I just love a good old traditional fish and chips – there is nothing that beats it for me.”
He added: “There’s a lot that goes into getting a five star review – I also put a lot of pride into giving them. All aspects of the experience affect the score – for instance how friendly the staff are as for me manners are important.
“How the shop is presented is also something I look out for too as I want to feel comfortable and welcome when I’m inside. Also those who sell other meals, like kebabs and pizzas. If the love for fish and chips doesn’t come first then it may affect the score.
“I’m sharing the joy and the history of these iconic places – I want to do it right.”
Stephen’s top five UK chippies:
- 1st: Green Lane Chippy – Leigh, Lancashire
- 2nd: The Old Forge Cafe – Bugle, Cornwall
- 3rd: Charlie’s of Mobberley – Mobberley, Cheshire
- 4th: George A. Green Fisheries – Wakefield, Yorkshire
- 5th: Hennighan’s, Machynlleth, Wales