OK I know it’s a way away – but it’s where I’ve just been. My only real reason for including a London venue here is that it was incredible value. In fact I found the whole dining experience in the smoke good value and good quality – price not reflected by a drop in standards.
So there are some things you wish could be imported north……………..
Batter: Crispy and not too thick but slightly greasy. Obviously fresh out of the frier. To counter this I approved of the way of serving it on paper – apart from the nod back to the days of newsprint, it did help drain the oil as you can see in the picture.
Fish:Good but not identifiable.
Chips: Good and crispy but light on quantity. My companion INET (I’m Not Eating That!) managed to get them all down her in record time and I’m sure she was eyeing up my last morsels too!
Peas: Good enough but nothing special. A bit bright in the colour department but a good texture.
Extras: No bread and butter offered but there was a little paper tub of tartar clinging to the side.
Verdict: Nothing special but tasty and good value. INET prides herself on sniffing out bargains and, at £6.50 for two, is this not the best priced meal in London?
Have you tried this pub? What did you think? Submit your comments below.
The Court is at 108a Tottenham Court Road, London, W1P 9HG.
Category: Fish and chips
@ Peels Arms, Hadfield
A country pub in the Peak District this time – well it is nearly summer!
Batter: Really, really crispy crunchy. Made a satisfying cracking noise when cut into and not even the liberal splashing of vinegar made it soggy. I was a little suspicious at first that it might have been oven-baked because this fish jacket was so brittle.
Fish: Splendidly white, flaky haddock. Piping hot and not overcooked leaving me less sure about the oven-baked theory.
Chips: Of the flat and chunky variety. Well cooked and again crispy enough to survive a strenuous vinegar shower.
Peas: Good texture – could still make out the individual peas – and retaining a good green taste.
Salad: Yes salad! Why I do not know. This fish ‘n’chips came with either veg or salad which seemed totally unnecessary. The salad was fresh and crisp (if undressed) and also came with a helping of home-made coleslaw with a red onion base. This addition could be seen as a bonus or an unnecessary flourish depending on your view point. Having some lettuce and tomato is hardly going to make this into the healthy option.
Verdict: A good effort of the classic take-away in a pub setting. Thanfully no breadcrumbs or frozen petit pois! It was fresh, hot, tasty and plentiful – what more do you want for your fish and chips? The convivial surroundings and reasonable price of £7.95 marks it out for a return visit.
Have you tried this pub? What did you think? Submit your comments below.
The Peels Arms is at 6-12 Temple Street, Padfield, Glossop, Derbyshire, SK13 1EX. 01457-852719.
@ Victoria Street, Glossop
A full take out this time instead of the over-priced sit-down versions looked at on this blog previously. What has happened to the really good chip shops? They seem increasingly difficult to track down between the pizza, burger and kebab joints. I know they’re no healthier in these weight obsessed times but there something almost homely about a traditional chip shop.
This particular premises caught my eye because its the sort of place that still has “frying times” on the door and children queue up there for their tea. It also doesn’t appear to have a name hence I’ve just given the street.
So how did it perform?
Firstly, the large woman brandishing a huge deep-fried sausage as she waited at the counter for her supper was a bit of an unusual welcome. Then;
Batter: Not great. Passable but not properly crispy – no crunch when cut into but it wasn’t greasy.
Fish: Overcooked. It looked as though it had all been kept hanging about for a bit. Also unidentifiable species – definately not cod. Why do chip shops so often do that? Can’t we have a choice of fish anymore or is that the fault of overfishing? I miss being able to choose from the board.
Chips: Now we’re talking. The chips were the highlight of the combo. Freshly fried, crispy and hot with just the right amount of splash and splosh by the vinegar bottle.There were a couple of black spots though but in the whole context I could forgive them.
Peas: Bland. It’s the only word for them. I couldn’t actually determine any sort of flavour – a bit like eating green wallpaper paste.
Verdict: First visit to this chippy and although it’s also near enough to home for everything still to be hot I’m not sure there’ll be a second trip. (Particularly if the sausage woman is around). It wasn’t the best (or worst) fish ‘n’ chips eaten but probably not special enough for a return match.
Have you tried this chip shop? What did you think? Submit your comments below.
@ Harry Ramsden’s
Batter: Quite crispy but also rather thick. The underside of the batter reminded me of rubber backed carpet which has got wet and left behind a spongy trace when lifted from a concrete floor.
Fish: I chose the standard haddock which was a good size but was overcooked – possibly because the thick overcoat of batter prevented enough air circulating to steam the fish effectively so it became overcooked by the time the batter was ready.
Chips: These were good. Freshly cooked, thick cut and cripsy. Plentiful although a few too many scrapings for a sit-down meal.Also, no black bits, don’t you just hate wasting chips because they’ve got black bits which the chip sorter hasn’t spotted? Here they must be able to spot a black bit at a distance.
Peas: Good colour – look like real peas! Not a cosmetically enhanced version but varying shades of pale green. In fact they almost looked like guacamole that’s been left in the fridge. (I must tell Peter Mandelson that his faux pas was an easy mistake to make). However, they were overly sweet and didn’t have much texture, turning into a slurry in the mouth. Too pricey – I didn’t have time to count but I’m sure there can’t even have been 99 peas in the pot for your 99p.
Vinegar: The usual brown but served in a good splashable bottle. Disappointing amount of sauce left in the ketchup though.
Tea: Good and strong. Looked like Typhoo pyramids. Served in one of those impossible to pour silver pots a la service stations.
Bread: Plentiful. Choice of brown or white and spread right to the crusts.
Price: Not cheap. Standard haddock and chips is £7.49 with that 99p extra for peas and £1.49 for one tea.
Verdict: Although not perfect. it did hit the spot. Visited when very hungry which helped get over the issues with the peas.
Harry Ramsden’s at 1 Water Street, Castlefield, Manchester M3 4JU. 0161 8329144
@ Watersreach
The first review of the year – and the standard set is high.
Batter: I was a bit unsure about the batter at first sight. It looked as if it had the potential to be a bit soggy but I should have known better and had a little faith in chef Stuart Plant’s abilities. When I cut into it it was crisp and melting – not quite a tempura batter but not far off.
Fish: The fish was perfect white flakes which just fell apart. 
Vinegar:Of the brown malt variety. Personally I think the Scots get it right by serving the distilled clear variety but I’ve never yet seen it this side of the border. Here the vinegar was served in this silly splashy vessel which meant a lurching glug of vinegar instead of a good shake with a properly designed bottle.
Chips:Good but nothing special.
Mushy peas: Excellent. But while excellent they may be with just the right consistency, and no fancy mint additions or anything silly like that, they attracted an extra charge of £1.95. Isn’t the point of having a set price menu the fact you don’t have any extras?
Tea: Not really a mug of tea sort of place. Decent wine by the glass though.
Price: High. Fish and chips was a main course in a set price meal which was £15.95 for two courses.
Verdict:The best restaurant fish and chips I’ve had in Manchester for a good long while.
Watersreach is at Golden Tulip Manchester, Trafford Park, Manchester. M17 1WS. 0161 873 8899
Lancs the champs for fish and chips
CONGRATULATIONS to the chip shop owners of Lancashire – they’ve been named as the best in the business.
The county was named fish and chip capital of Britain after research by university experts revealed it has 1,200 fish and chip shops – one for every 914 people – which serve more than 17m portions a year.
Linda and Nigel Hodgson, owners of Hodgson’s fish and chip shop in Lancaster, did the county proud when they won the 2006 National Fish and Chip Shop of the Year competition.
And Lancashire is believed to be home to the first fish and chip shop in 1863 in Mossley, Oldham. Both Bury and Oldham were in Lancashire before boundary changes.
Professor John Walton, of the University of Central Lancashire, studied the history of fish and chips. He believes their popularity stems back to the late 19th century when the cotton mills were thriving and workers were short of time.
He said: “A hundred years ago practically every street in working-class Lancashire had its fish and chip shop.
“So there is plenty of experience of preparing and eating this popular dish and customers are very demanding.”
What a research job. Any vacancies in your department prof?
The quest for perfection
The smell of freshly cooked fish and chips, the sea air, the tang of the vinegar, aaaahh what could be better?
In honour of our great national dish I’ve started this new section on the blog for 2007 to put any fish and chips I come across through their paces.
And because a good example of the humble dish is the result of perfection in its components, I’ll be looking for certain standards;
Batter: Must be crispy. Whether is beer battered, tempura style or traditional, there’s no excuse for soggy batter.
Fish: Must be pure white flakes that fall apart. Nothing grey and mean looking.
Vinegar: Although I think the Scots have the best idea here using a white version of the condiment, the malt variety will do – providing its liberally applied.
Peas: Mushy peas are a must but still need some consistency. A pure puree is no good and strange minted attempts are definitely out.
Chips: Must be plentiful, freshly cooked and crisp. Nothing soggy please.
So if you want to join my quest for perfect fish and chips then send me the results of your own painstaking research below.
Image by Sunny Period at Flickr.
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