Fish and chips are a British institution. Flaky white fish surrounded by a crisp golden batter, perched on top of chips that are doused in malt vinegar (and cooked in beef dripping, if you’re lucky) – what’s not to love? All wrapped up in a perfect paper parcel to enjoy at home or by the seaside, it’s a thing of joy.
Whether you’re team gravy or team curry sauce, like mushy peas on the side, or always go for a potato ‘smack’ or ‘scallop’, you can’t beat a trip to the chippy (chip shop). We Brits love it so much, it’s one of the few foods that wasn’t rationed during either World War – that’s one way to keep morale up.
The birthplace of fish and chips is hotly debated, with both Lancashire and London claiming it. And the regional debate doesn’t stop there. With a whopping 10,500 chippies in the UK, it’s no wonder they all offer their own weird and wonderful twists.
We’ve rounded up some of our regional favourites into a not-so-exhaustive list (please don’t come for us!), and thrown in a few of our own fish and chips recipes too. Have we missed anything? Go on, tell us your favourites!
Jamie’s fish and chip shop dreams
"I’ve often dreamt of my own fish and chip shop. I love all the condiments that go with beautifully battered fish and the perfect chips. I’m so excited by proper homemade tartare sauce, curry sauce and mushy peas, quality vinegar, sea salt and an array of pickles – all of this takes fish and chips to a new level."
— Jamie x
Ridiculously-good chippy traditions
Lancashire
SMACK
Ask for a ‘smack’ at a Lancashire chippy (trust us), and you’ll be rewarded with a thin slice of potato, battered and fried until beautifully golden and crisp.
PIE BARM
Also known as a ‘Wigan kebab’, the pie barm hails from Wigan – a town in Greater Manchester. Traditionally, it’s a meat and potato pie sandwiched between a ‘barm’ (a soft, round bread roll), and is served with gravy or pea wet (quite simply, the juice from mushy peas – don’t knock it until you’ve tried it).
SALT & PEPPER CHIPS
Liverpool claims the iconic salt and pepper chips, introduced by its fantastic Chinese community. Classic chippy chips are seasoned with salt, Sichuan pepper and 5-spice, and topped with stir-fried onions, peppers and chillies.
Yorkshire
FISH CAKE
A piece of fish sandwiched between two slices of potato, battered and fried (like handheld fish and chips – who doesn’t need that in their life?!). Give this fishcake recipe a try.
SCALLOPS
There’s something a bit fishy about this one…! These aren’t the scallops you might be familiar with. Scallops are Yorkshire’s answer to the potato smack, like a super-thin potato cake that's fried until golden.
SCRAPS
Scraps, glorious scraps! These are the leftover pieces of batter from frying fish, and they’re absolutely delicious. Leeds claims scraps, but you can get these all across the north of England.
PATTIE BUTTY
You’ll find pattie butties in East Yorkshire. It’s essentially a ball of sage mash in batter in a breadcake. Nice!
Scotland
PIZZA CRUNCH
Battered and deep-fried pizza? No worries, Glasgow. Ask for a pizza crunch supper if you want chips on the side.
ROLL & FRITTER
Deep-fried potato inside a morning roll (an airy bread roll) – this is double carb heaven.
SALT & SAUCE
Salt and vinegar WHO? In Edinburgh and across the East coast of Scotland, it’s all about ‘sauce’ – a mash-up of vinegar and brown sauce that will fast become your fish-and-chip condiment of choice!
West Midlands
ORANGE CHIPS
Perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, orange chips hit the spot every time. In the Black Country, the recipe varies from chippy to chippy, but most opt for turmeric or paprika to get that iconic orange glow.
Wales
RISSOLES
Rissoles are a Welsh delicacy. Picture a meatball made with corned beef, mashed potato and onion, rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried to perfection – iconic.
Northern Ireland
PASTIE BAP
A spiced round pork patty with onion and potatoes, battered and fried until golden. Pop it inside a white roll (bap), or pair with chips for a pastie supper. Heaven.
Isle of Man
CHEESE, CHIPS & GRAVY
Hot chips topped with grated Manx Cheddar and lashings of beef gravy – yes please! The Isle of Man loves this chip-shop combo so much, there’s an annual day to celebrate it – the last Monday in January, if you want to join in!
Our best fish and chips recipes
If you fancy making your own fish and chips, chances are it’ll be healthier and cheaper than your local chippy. It’s the inconvenient truth!
Paprika-spiced crispy fish and bar-marked potatoes, with pickle ketchup AND minty peas on the side, for a fraction of the price of your local takeaway. It doesn’t get much better than that.
If you love air fryers as much as we do, you’ve got to try this fancy fish and chips. We’re using salmon here (hence the posh), but you could absolutely swap in your favourite white fish fillet, like cod or haddock.
You won’t find a bacon-crumbed fish in your local chippy, so make it yourself! With golden potato wedges, quick smashed peas and an easy mint sauce, this makes a cracking midweek meal.
An oldie but a goodie, this is the closest you’ll get to recreating your beloved chippy tea at home. Serve with pickled gherkins (also known as wallies), plenty of malt vinegar and ketchup.
Cheat your homemade fish and chips
When you don't have the time to cook fish and chips entirely from scratch but still fancy something homemade-ish, we’ve got you covered. These are the crispiest, tastiest chips; fried in beef fat and finished with a shake of vinegar – they’re the real deal! Pop these in the oven while you fry or bake your fish. Dinner, done.
