FISH & CHIPS

Fish and chips became a widely eaten dish in the mid- to late 19^thC. This was because the development of the railway system meant that fish that had been landed in ports on England's east coast could be transported to London in a matter of hours. It was still fresh upon its arrival in the city. The practice of covering a fillet of fish with batter and then deep frying is thought to have derived from Ashkenazim Jewish cuisine.¹ This is held to have become allied to a tradition of deep frying pieces of potato that was supposedly associated with the Huguenots.² In 1860 Joseph Malin, a Russian Jew, opened what was probably London's first fish and chip shop. It was located in Cleveland Street in the East End.

During the Second World War was subjected to a rationing regime. This did not end until almost a decade after the return of peace. However, fish and chips were never rationed. This was because the government was concerned what the impact would be on national morale if it were. However, as most of the trawlermen had been conscripted, it was extremely hard to find.

Haddock is a popular alternative to cod in Scotland and the north of England. Vegetable oil tends to be used in the south, lard is used in the north. Peas etc. can be highly regional.

While the dish is widely available in central London in pubs and fast food outlets, there are now very few fish and chip shops left there. Bona fide chippies are often given punning names, such as The Dining Plaice and The Friar's Inn.

Location: Fish Central, King Square, 149-155 Central Street, EC1V 8AP (red, yellow)

The Dining Plaice, 20 Berwick Street, W1F 0PY (red, yellow)

The Friar s Inn, 21-23 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9RP (purple, orange)

The Rock & Sole Plaice, 45-47 Endell Street, WC2H 9AJ. The business opened in 1871. (www.rockandsoleplaice.com) (red, purple)

49-51 Lisson Grove, NW1 6UH (blue, grey)

Golden Union Fish Bar, 38 Poland Street, W1F 7LY. (www.goldenunion.co.uk) (red, grey)

The Laughing Halibut, 38 Strutton Ground, SW1P 2HR (https://thelaughinghalibut.has.restaurant) (orange, purple)

Gigs, 12 Tottenham Street, W1T 4RE. (www.gigsfishandchips.com) (blue, turquoise)

Website: www.nfff.co.uk (The National Federation of Fish Friers)

¹. The Sephardim community were given to eating fried fish fritters (pescardo frito).

². Belgians claim that during the winter of 1680 the River Meuse froze so solidly that locals were no longer able to catch fish. With no fish to fry they took to frying potatoes instead, thus creating the chip. The first written reference in English to preparing potatoes in such a manner was in Alexis Soyer's Soyer's Shilling Cookery for The People (1854).

Kennedy's of London

Kennedy s was a chain of butchers. At its zenith it had 22 branches across South-East London. In 2007 the business closed. At the time, it was operating nine. The following year the Camberwell and South Norwood premises were listed. They had Art Deco features. The brand re-emerged as a chain of fish and chip shops.

Location: 184-186 Goswell Road, EC1V 7DT (blue, purple)

169 Whitecross Street, EC1Y 8JT (orange, turquoise)

Website: www.kennedyslondon.co.uk

North Sea Fish Restaurant

In the 1980s the Lefties of the National Union of Miners used to meet for fish suppers in the North Sea Fish Restaurant. The security service M.I.5 bugged it.

Location: 7-8 Leigh Street, WC1H 9EW (orange, pink)

Website: http://northsearestaurant.co.uk

Harry Ramsden's

Harry Ramsden's is a fish and chip restaurant business. In 1928 Harry Ramsden (d.1963), with 150, opened his first Harry Ramsden Fish & Chip Restaurant in a shed in Guiseley, the terminus for Leeds and Bradford trams taking people to the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District; the original building is known as `the Hut'. It is the most famous place for fish and chips in the U.K..

In 1954 Mr Ramsden retired from the business.

In 1992 the business opened its first overseas restaurant in Hong Kong. It was planning to service expatriate British communities with one of the staples of life.

David Backhouse 2024