Are Fish and Chips worth it?

[girlfriend44]

Normally cook my own, but last night went to the Chippy.
Had 2 large Cod and Chips and a pot of mushy peas.
Cost 23.80.
Found it very underwhelming.
So glad I normally do my own.

I know costs have gone up, but do you think it's worth the cost?
Do you enjoy it?

To me yes, because I don't have a deep fat fryer and chip shop fish and chips tastes amazing compared to the oven version!

Where we are in London 2 large cod and chips from the best fish and chips shop is £32 but feeds 4 of us.
A curry for 4 of us is £60 but lasts 2/3 days.

Depends on the chippie. We'll travel a long way for a decent one. But a bad fish supper is a bit grim.

Always best with red cola

I'm almost always disappointed by fish and chips- the idea and the smell is better than the actual thing. . Mind you, DP and I had some amazing f&c in Manchester last week. 10 quid and really really good. Can't remember the name of the shop but it was opposite the MalMaison Hotel and down a bit.

@Bjorkdidit My dp comes from Yorkshire. He goes on about bloody haddock!🤣

M&S do a lovely haddock with mushy peas in their gastropub range , so if I was going to do fish and chips I’d have that with their triple cooked chips .

I laughed at you saying a proper Irish chipper is Italian - that's exactly my childhood experience! West coast of Scotland, all the best chippies were run by Italian Scots. We stayed across the road from ours, no chance for them to go cold on the way home!

We use our free entry ticket throughout the year and regularly go just with the intention of having fish and chips for lunch.

We were beyond underwhelmed with Rick Steins fish and chips. Horrid sarsons malt vinegar too.

Ime, the best fish and chip shop is in Oban; but we have also eaten at great ones in Wells Next The Sea in Norfolk, Exmouth, Hunstanton, Widnes and Liverpool (although there, it’s for the massive choice, including good Chinese food)!

Oh@OatFlatWhiteForMePlease sarson's is an absolute must with this classic working class meal. ( I do like a nice ramekin of home made tartare to go with, however)

How was the rest of it? Fish freshness? batter? Chip crispness?

Does he sell cream soda or dandelion and burdock?

Chippy near us in South Yorkshire is £12 for large Haddock and chips this feeds 2 adults with leftover chips which I freeze then reheat in the oven another day.

Just read some reviews of Stein's. They agree with you @OatFlatWhiteForMePlease !

How disappointing.

Our local one is actually really nice but expensive, the family really enjoy when we get it.

I'm not overly enthusiastic about fish and chips, it's not my favourite but when it's well done, it can be a real treat.

We have a good local Chippy and the chips are lovely, but to have a low cost meal we'll purchase a large portion of chips to share and there are plenty! I grate cheese, into microwave for 90secs then slap some ham on the side....really delicious.....

Depends where you go tbh. We're coeliac here and we're fussy. Some are utterly crap, others taste better than the gluten version. I've literally had mine stolen by siblings and friends. 😆

I've only found two places worth it, though. Before being diagnosed, I did like it but it had to be from a decent chippy. Got tired of warm ups and soggy batter. I think what I like about the GF fish is that it's a lighter batter and the oil is always fresh! Plus found some gorgeous Welsh ones with a vast array of different fish. Conwy was the best.

I'm let down by fishcakes though, even before the coeliac diagnosis. It's basically a savoury cake here in the NW! In Yorkshire it was weird to me; sliced spud with fish inside layered like a sarnie, then battered. I remember fishcakes being all smashed up cod, spud, and herbs in batter!

Though I won't complain. I wish they did GF spud cakes. Oh God, what are they called...just sliced potato in batter. Can't think of the name now. Lovely.

SCALLOP. Oh God I loved them.

How can you love scallops but not Yorkshire fishcakes, which are a double decker scallop with fish in the middle?

We Yorkshire folk have to be very careful about ordering fishcakes because in West Yorkshire at least, if you ask for a fishcake you get what I've described above and no other type exists.

But if you go east, at some point that becomes a fish patty I think and a fishcake is mash and fish in batter. As far as I can tell no chippy in Yorkshire is foolish enough to try and pass off the breadcrumbed type as a fishcake.

It's also unwise for anyone from Yorkshire to go into a chippy elsewhere because in most places it's not what you expect and some places truly awful. I remember DP asking for a 'fishcake in a breadcake' (typical manual worker's lunch because its cheap and filling, like a massive burger) in Cornwall and, after a lot of pointing at the breadcakes he could see but didn't realise they call them something else, he received said breadcake with a tiny biscuit sized 'dot of disappointment' that wasn't even a quarter of the size of our fishcakes in the middle.

This is a question of our time and despite some well reasoned responses I'm not sure can be answered. I bought fish and chips after Christmas shopping and was astounded at the price, but enjoyed them so much I've already been back twice this year. I'm not sure what the tipping point is for us, but we haven't go there yet

We often pick them up on a Friday. I think it is kind of pricey, sometimes I just get a steak on a bun and dh gets fish and chips.

I live overseas. The only fish and chips here comes with McDonalds -style skinny fries. I really miss proper chippy chips.

Gluten-free scallops here.

Oh, they were nice! Just not what I expected as a fishcake. I needed the mash and I got the scallop sandwich, so to say I was confused was an understatement. It was also the first time Norwegian DH tried a fishcake from a chippy, so he was happily tucking in while I was trying to explain this wasn't the norm. 😂

I've also had the breadcake/barm/bap/roll issue elsewhere! In Liverpool it was a barm or a bap, but I remember down South it was bread roll? In Oxford I had to try about 3 different ways of telling them until I just asked "please can I have it on bread?"!

In Lancashire "pea wet" is a thing, too. It's basically the water from mushy peas drizzled on your chips. I never tried because despite loving mushy peas, I hate the phrase too much. 😂 That said, I'll scoff a mushy pea butty any day of the week. In some parts of Ireland we'd ask for "chip shards"; the little crunchy chips!

@Aintnobodygottime Ooooh, which area? I'm in the NW and haven't seen any around! Need to do a chippy adventure again soon!

There's not doubt it's ridiculously expensive in some areas, I think all takeaways are now though! My partner and I get a takeaway every Saturday and the cost for the two of us will range from £25-£30. It's worth it for me though as I look forward to takeaway night every week, and I do love a fish a chips from the chip shop with a side of gravy and buttery bread 😋