Fish and Chips – A British Institution

Fish and chips have been the great British takeaway since the 1860s. Even though they now have competition from Indian curries, Chinese chop sueys and Italian  pizzas, fish and chips are still as popular as ever, despite the rising price of fish, as catches decline, which makes them no longer the cheapest fast food on offer.

The first fried fish shops opened in the early 1850s, serving fried cod and flat fish accompanied by a slice of bread or a baked potato. By the 1860s they had adopted the French method of frying chipped potatoes, and fish and chips really took off as a cheap complete meal for working families in the big cities. Rail transport meant that saltwater fish could easily be transported to the inland cities and new trawl fishing methods made fish cheaper than it had ever been previously.

Fish and chips were one of the few foods not to be rationed during World War 2. It was considered a matter of morale for them to be readily available and also to keep the fisherman employed, even though prices did rise in acknowledgment of the dangers the fisherman faced from U-boats.

Traditionally fish and chips were sprinkled with salt and vinegar before being wrapped in newspaper for insulation. They could then be hurried home to be eaten still hot from plates with knife and fork, or eaten straight from the wrappings, burning fingers and mouths on chips hot from the fryer. Cheap fish and chip eat-in restaurants opened towards the end on the 19th century, where restaurant dining became available to working class families for the first time. Fish and chips, bread and butter and tea were served for ninepence with waitress service, tablecloths and flowers on the table.

Today fish and chips are still big business in the food industry, although concerns about over-fishing of cod stocks and climate change are causing some people to question the future of fish and chips as the British favourite. Responsible fish and chip shops now look to source their fish from well managed, sustainable fishing areas in Scotland, Norway and Iceland. A wider range of fish is now available that ever before with plaice, pollack, halibut, salmon, coley, skate and hake as well as the traditional cod and haddock on the menu.

Once looked down upon by upmarket restaurants as poor man’s food, fish and chips can now be found on menus in the top restaurants, as the leaning towards British traditional food has influenced trends in cuisine. Beer battered fish served with chunky chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce are now considered just as much a delicacy as a duck confit, or roast venison.