Fish & Chips Shops: Regional differences

[anti-pacer]

Whenever I'm in Carlisle, I always pop into a 'chippy' near the station for battered haggis, something not available in Wakefield. Yes, I know the thought of haggis alone fills people with dread, let alone it being 'battered', but I love it, despite it being very unhealthy.

I was wondering what regional differences exist in the rest of the UK in fush and chip shops.

In the North East, you can get "patties", a battered ball of mashed potato and cheese/or mince, which are also very nice.

North of the border, they sell black, white and red pudding, as well as haggis, and anything served with chips is referred to as a 'supper'. They also sell deep-fried pizza's which look truly vile to be honest.

Saveloys are something that generally only become available south of Mansfield, and there's still many outlets in London where gravy isn't available.

Northern Ireland have their "Cowboy Suppers", which is a rather elaborate way of saying "sausage, chips, and beans".

Haggis does seem available as far south as Sunderland and Penrith, although I have seen it in Lancaster before.

What regional specialities does your area have?

 

[steamybrian]

Here in the South East prices are far more expensive than elsewhere..

 

[yorksrob]

I've noticed that a fish cake in the South of England is a small breadcrumb covered disk of fish pate, whereas a fish cake in the North of England is a large round hunk of potato and fish in batter.

 

[Zoidberg]

Mmmmm, haggis supper.

The main difference I note is that while haddock is predominately used for the fish supper north of the border, it seems that cod is the default to the south.

 

[edwin_m]

As Peter Mandelson found out, they don't sell guacamole in Hartlepool.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Whenever I'm in Carlisle, I always pop into a 'chippy' near the station for battered haggis, something not available in Wakefield. Yes, I know the thought of haggis alone fills people with dread, let alone it being 'battered', but I love it, despite it being very unhealthy.

I was wondering what regional differences exist in the rest of the UK in fush and chip shops.

In the North East, you can get "patties", a battered ball of mashed potato and cheese/or mince, which are also very nice.

North of the border, they sell black, white and red pudding, as well as haggis, and anything served with chips is referred to as a 'supper'. They also sell deep-fried pizza's which look truly vile to be honest.

Saveloys are something that generally only become available south of Mansfield, and there's still many outlets in London where gravy isn't available.

Northern Ireland have their "Cowboy Suppers", which is a rather elaborate way of saying "sausage, chips, and beans".

Haggis does seem available as far south as Sunderland and Penrith, although I have seen it in Lancaster before.

What regional specialities does your area have?

I used to love a good battered haggis and chips before a Blackpool game when I held a season ticket there. I can't remember the chippy name but it's the one on the road behind the newest stand at Bloomfield Road. I even have haggis for breakfast, but not battered, just in lieu of sausage on a full English.

Round here in Ellesmere Port they are just Chinese takeaways or Greek takeaways not to mention about 8 kebab shops. The Chinese chippies have this idea of a fish dinner which is fish, chips, beans, mushy-peas and gravy. Yuck! Other than that it's nothing special here around Cheshire or Merseyside.

 

[W-on-Sea]

You'll get offered "salt and sauce" (=brown sauce) to go with your chips in - certainly much of Eastern Scotland (in the west it's a bit different - as this bloke says http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.c...ays-edinburgh-ketchup-charge-racist-1-3062264 ).

In the south-east of England (and a fair way beyond that), "salt and vinegar" would be the usual offer.

I also notice that chippies in and immediately around London (especially in places along the Thames Estuary) - even perfectly normal, cheap, unpretentious, ones - seem to offer far greater variety of fish types than anywhere else in the UK: it's common to see cod (sure, the most popular), haddock, plaice, rock, skate, and sometimes other options available. Also cod roe is pretty normally found on menus too.

 

[306024]

Got strange looks when I asked for a wally in Keswick, although they did have some, just didn't know the slang.

As for gravy on fish and chips, what's that all about?
(Cue big north v south argument)

 

[anti-pacer]

You'll get offered "salt and sauce" (=brown sauce) to go with your chips in - certainly much of Eastern Scotland (in the west it's a bit different - as this bloke says http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.c...ays-edinburgh-ketchup-charge-racist-1-3062264 ).

In the south-east of England (and a fair way beyond that), "salt and vinegar" would be the usual offer.

I also notice that chippies in and immediately around London (especially in places along the Thames Estuary) - even perfectly normal, cheap, unpretentious, ones - seem to offer far greater variety of fish types than anywhere else in the UK: it's common to see cod (sure, the most popular), haddock, plaice, rock, skate, and sometimes other options available. Also cod roe is pretty normally found on menus too.

Oh yes, the legendary Edinburgh "Chippy Sauce"! Memories of staying in the Tollcross area of the city, eating battered haggis with that sauce. I've found that even if you just ask for haggis, and not a haggis supper, you still get some chips although only a handful.

As for the South East, I remember going in a chippy in Southend as a kid, and seeing "wallies" on the menu! Turns out these were pickled gherkins.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Got strange looks when I asked for a wally in Keswick, although they did have some, just didn't know the slang.

As for gravy on fish and chips, what's that all about?
(Cue big north v south argument)

Chips with gravy is fine.

FISH, chips and gravy sounds disgusting!

 

[IanXC]

I've found in Hull and East Yorkshire you'll be offered Salt and Vinegar, then "Spice", which is a yellowish powder in a salt shaker which will be liberally applied to your chips.

To be honest I've not found out what's in it, but what I do know is that chip shop chips without it aren't worth bothing with!

 

[richw]

Fish, Chips and Curry sauce is the popular choice down here. Only cod is accepted by the majority.

 

[NeilWatson]

I've found in Hull and East Yorkshire you'll be offered Salt and Vinegar, then "Spice", which is a yellowish powder in a salt shaker which will be liberally applied to your chips.

To be honest I've not found out what's in it, but what I do know is that chip shop chips without it aren't worth bothing with!

http://www.chipspice.co.uk/

 

[Tom B]

Chippy sauce greatly confuses visitors, who think they will be given ketchup or vinegar when they ask for sauce. I believe it's made up from Gold Star brown sauce and vinegar, although each chippy has its own recipe - some just water down brown sauce, which I don't think is as nice.

On a visit to Aberdeen a few years ago the chippy there had Edinburgh sauce, but that's the only time I've seen it outwith the Lothians.

And if you ask for a fish supper or sausage supper in England they will look at you as if you have three heads!

 

[Teaboy1]

Not been to many southern chippies but oop north I tend to find qite a difference in Fish Cakes! Yorkshire ones tend to be 2 slices of sud with a piece of fish sandwiched in there then battered.
Agree that chip quality does tend to vary, depends on what size suds they use (new or Kind Ed's for example. Today even those in Yorkshire tend towards small scraps when you near the bottom.
Wetwang is still my fave followed by Kenny's [Conisbro] and Harry Ramsden's when in Leeds.
Of the non-chippy variety, always stock up on Flimby pies when around Cumbria coast, make a special 25mile detour!

 

[breadfan]

Chippy sauce greatly confuses visitors, who think they will be given ketchup or vinegar when they ask for sauce. I believe it's made up from Gold Star brown sauce and vinegar, although each chippy has its own recipe - some just water down brown sauce, which I don't think is as nice.

On a visit to Aberdeen a few years ago the chippy there had Edinburgh sauce, but that's the only time I've seen it outwith the Lothians.

And if you ask for a fish supper or sausage supper in England they will look at you as if you have three heads!

I always thought chip shop sauce was brown sauce mixed with vinegar. Spring roll supper with salt and sauce, kept wrapped up for at least quarter of an hour to allow the sauce to soak into the food.
I bought a bottle of chip shop sauce in Stranraer last year, which was a pleasant surprise.

Saveloys are common enough in Edinburgh centre.

Elsewhere, some chip shops in Preston sell butter pies.

In Liverpool and Birkenhead you can get savoury cakes, which confused me the first time I saw one on the menu.

 

[Liam]

You'll get offered "salt and sauce" (=brown sauce) to go with your chips in - certainly much of Eastern Scotland (in the west it's a bit different - as this bloke says http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.c...ays-edinburgh-ketchup-charge-racist-1-3062264 ).

I've only really seen salt and sauce in Edinburgh, but vinegar is almost always available too. As someone else has said, outside of the Edinburgh area it's just your basic salt and vinegar. Certainly no salt and sauce in Kirkcaldy, Dundee etc. There are a few chippies in Levenmouth area that have something called 'pink'. I believe its red sauce and mayo.

As I don't like vinegar it's not a problem for me, 'just salt please'.

Red and white puddings are mainly an east of Scotland thing, deep fried half pizzas in batter are more common in the west (and are surprisingly good!).

 

[ScottishIain]

I've only really seen salt and sauce in Edinburgh, but vinegar is almost always available too. As someone else has said, outside of the Edinburgh area it's just your basic salt and vinegar. Certainly no salt and sauce in Kirkcaldy, Dundee etc. There are a few chippies in Levenmouth area that have something called 'pink'. I believe its red sauce and mayo.

As I don't like vinegar it's not a problem for me, 'just salt please'.

Red and white puddings are mainly an east of Scotland thing, deep fried half pizzas in batter are more common in the west (and are surprisingly good!).

Pizza crunch. I actually quite like them

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[anti-pacer]

Pizza crunch. I actually quite like them

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What's the difference between a Deep Fried Pizza and a Pizza Crunch? :-?

 

[W-on-Sea]

Salt and sauce was the standard in all the chippies in St Andrews when I lived there (admittedly, 15-20 years ago); I think elsewhere in the vicinity (eg Crail) the same was true - so a bit surprised that doesn't extend very few beyond...

Then of course there is concept of the "mock chop" ( I think: some variety or relation of burger): I think I've only ever seen it in Dundee, and this would have been quite some years ago.

 

[anti-pacer]

Salt and sauce was the standard in all the chippies in St Andrews when I lived there (admittedly, 15-20 years ago); I think elsewhere in the vicinity (eg Crail) the same was true - so a bit surprised that doesn't extend very few beyond...

Then of course there is concept of the "mock chop" ( I think: some variety or relation of burger): I think I've only ever seen it in Dundee, and this would have been quite some years ago.

Crail! Aaaah, one of my favourite places. I'd happily up sticks and move there!

The chippy was nice too. Happy memories of looking out over a dark Firth of Forth, sat on a bench by that tower type building, eating a haggis supper.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Here in the Port we have what's called a savoury on the menu which is just a spud scallop. As for condiments it's just salt n vinegar, which is very sparsely sprinkled on. As for the fish and gravy thing, I asked for a fish dinner after seeing it on the menu I thought it would be....fish chips and mushy peas. I was wrong when he started putting beans and gravy on it! Vile!!

 

[ScottishIain]

What's the difference between a Deep Fried Pizza and a Pizza Crunch? :-?

Pizza crunch is a deep fried pizza in batter whereas a deep fried pizza has no batter.

Sent from my GT-I8160 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Whistler40145]

In the Northwest, you can get Potato Scallops, which are large slices of Potato in Batter, sometimes nice as an alternative to Chips.

Do you get these in other parts of the UK?

Also, Spam Fritters, which are slices of Spam covered in Batter.

I must say I quite enjoy partaking in a Haggis or Black Pudding Supper in Scotland or the Chippy near Carlisle station.

 

[anti-pacer]

I must say I quite enjoy partaking in a Haggis or Black Pudding Supper in Scotland or the Chippy near Carlisle station.

Tim, which chippy do you visit near Carlisle station? I believe there's two. One under the County Hotel, and one around the corner on The Crescent.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

In the Northwest, you can get Potato Scallops, which are large slices of Potato in Batter, sometimes nice as an alternative to Chips.

Do you get these in other parts of the UK?

They're called the same in Yorkshire, but in the East Midlands for example they're called "Potato Fritters".

 

[yorksrob]

I too love a spam fritter (a hangover from the days of proper school dinners )

I've found them all over the country, but only in the better establishments !

I also had a pea fritter in Weymouth which was a lump of congealed mushy peas in batter ! I'm glad I've tried one, but I think I prefer my mushy peas poured over the chips.

 

[Eagle]

I see no one's mentioned breaded mushrooms or mushy peas/pea fritters, which are pretty much ubiquitous here on the south coast.

Also the debates over cod versus mackerel? Most chip shops round here offer you the choice of several fish (including the dubious "rock", which is actually dogfish... so technically it's shark meat). If you went to one and just asked for "fish and chips" you'd be laughed at.

 

[Whistler40145]

The Chippy I goto in Carlisle is on the Crescent.

 

[yorksrob]

I see no one's mentioned breaded mushrooms or mushy peas/pea fritters, which are pretty much ubiquitous here on the south coast.

Looks like I just pipped you there

As for breaded mushrooms eeugh. Give me a pickled gherkin any day (also found in the better establishments).

 

[anti-pacer]

The Chippy I goto in Carlisle is on the Crescent.

Is it any good? The one under the County Hotel isn't bad, and their patties are great.

The only issue I've had with them was actually last Saturday, when my haggis was actually frozen in the middle. I took it back, they prepared a new one and stuck the thermometer in it.

I wish they'd have done that the first time, but hey ho, the second haggis was great!

 

[ATW Alex 101]

In the Northwest, you can get Potato Scallops, which are large slices of Potato in Batter, sometimes nice as an alternative to Chips.

Do you get these in other parts of the UK?

Yes, I mentioned them about 2 posts before yours. They are on the menu as a 'savoury'.

Also, Spam Fritters, which are slices of Spam covered in Batter.

We have them here as well, used to love a spam fritter, chips and the spiciest curry sauce they had. That was only until I found out how healthy it was :roll: