I tested best fish and chips in capital of British national dish – winner was succulent and flaky and only cost £10.50
And Scarborough, home to 93 chippies, knows that more than anywhere else.
The seaside resort in North Yorks has more fish and chip shops per head than any other town or city in the country — 85.4 per 100,000 to be precise.
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So as a self-confessed fan of our national dish, I knew I had to pay it a visit.
My mission? To find the best fish and chips in the fish and chip capital of Britain.
My method? By trying as many establishments as I could in the town centre in one day.
And along the way, I found out just how the chippy makes the meal like nowhere else — and why it's more important than ever to make a point of supporting your local.
As it turns out, the dish had made quite the journey to end up in the UK.
Sephardic Jews in 15th Century Portugal enjoyed traditional fried fish on the Sabbath.
Cooking on the day itself was forbidden, so they would wrap the fish in batter to preserve it.
But when they were banished in 1497, many fled to England, bringing the dish with them — and the tradition of eating it on a Friday soon caught on.
By the Victorian era, fried fish was firmly established as a working-class staple, being cheap, nutritious and easy to ship across the country thanks to the arrival of the railways.
'Fried fish warehouses' even featured in the Charles Dickens classic Oliver Twist.
Britain's £65 Fish & Chips So Big NO ONE Can Finish It Alone
But the title of Britain's first fish and chip shop is hotly debated.
A southerner may tell you the first one was opened in Bow, East London, by a Jewish immigrant called Joseph Malin in about 1860, while a northerner might claim it was John Lees, who opened a market stall in Mossley, Lancs, around 1863.
Wherever that marriage of fried fish and fried chips was first made, it wasn't long before there was a shop on just about every corner.
The dish even escaped rationing during World War Two.
'Prices are rocketing'
'It just worked so well, and it's great nutrition,' says Andrew Crook, President of the National Federation of Fish Friers.
The numbers don't lie either. According to UK Fisheries, UK fans scoff around 382million meals from chippies every year and spend £1.2billion on fish and chips annually.
Even Queen Elizabeth was a devotee — although she didn't eat fish off a newspaper, instead preferring haddock cut into small squares and covered in breadcrumbs. So how did we come to love fish and chips so much?
'It's a comfort thing,' reckons Andrew.
'People go on holiday, and the first meal they have when they get back is fish and chips.
'Everyone has their favourite chippy — you see so many arguments on social media about which one's better than the other. But as long as it sells and people love it, you're doing alright.'
But the good old fish and chip shop is under threat.
Although there are still more than 10,500 shops left in the country, they now find themselves under pressure just like other small businesses.
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'Fish prices are rocketing, while staff wages and national insurance contributions have increased,' says Raymond Fusco, a third-generation fish fryer and the owner of Winking Willy's, a fish and chip shop right on the harbourside in Scarborough.
He adds: 'Gas price increases were massive too, because of the Ukraine war. All that has to be taken into account.'
Reduced cod fishing quotas in recent years have also driven costs upwards.
But despite these challenges, Raymond still feels confident about the future.
He says: 'The good shops will continue to thrive. You can't imagine a Britain without fish and chips.'
Andrew, meanwhile, wants the Government to recognise the problems smaller shops face. He says: 'We've got a great product and people rightly love fish and chips.
'We just need the Government to start engaging with this more closely, because if they don't I fear for many small businesses.'
But to really understand fish and chips, I would have to get behind the counter and find out how it is made.
Raymond explains the vital parts of the process. The oil will soak in if the batter is too thin — and chips must always be at least double fried.
When it comes to the fish, keeping the oil clean is what matters most, and it must be regularly sieved to remove scraps and impurities.
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'Crispy on outside'
It's also why what you get down the chippy is so different to what you get in pubs.
Raymond reveals: 'We always say, the busier we are, the better the fish, because you're constantly turning over the oil.
'Pubs don't generally do the same amount of volume.'
I was now ready to go back to the customer side of the counter and see what Scarborough had on offer — but what should I be looking for in good fish and chips?
Andrew, who also judges the National Fish and Chip awards, says:
'You want to be looking at the batter first.
'I'd always break a fish in half and make sure it's not too gooey underneath. You want a nice thin batter that's crisp, and you want a little bit of lift on it, usually a bit spiky.'
Haddock rather than cod is the preferred offering in Scarborough, but a good fish will always be ice white and flakey.
And for the chips? Andrew says: 'Crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.'
But he added that as it was new potato season, they would likely be on the softer side.
For these reviews, I have taken into account flavour and value for money to give each a mark out of ten.
Here, I reveal what happened when I put Scarborough — and my arteries — to the test.
Winking Willies: £10.50
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THE batter at this family-run shop certainly delivered a great crunch.
The chips also had a good amount of softness on the inside without sacrificing the bite on the outside – no doubt thanks to the fact it is cooked in beef tallow.
But it was the fish itself that really stood out, with a succulent flavour and great degree of flakiness.
9/10
Harbourside: £11.20
Like Willy's, this takeaway on the far end of the seafront also keeps things traditional by frying everything in beef dripping.
Taste wise, it's worth it, and the chips had a great colour. I was also impressed by the size of the fish – though at £11.20 I wouldn't expect anything less.
The fish was slightly greasy, but the batter was crisp.
7/10
The Anchor: £11.30
WITH it featuring on TV's The One Show, I went into The Anchor with high expectations – and it almost met them.
The portion size was good, and there was clean separation when I broke away the fish, indicating good batter.
But I found the chips to be somewhat undercooked with too much fluff – though having beers on draught almost made up for it.
SCORE: 6/10
Bamford's: £10.60
THIS small shop on the front had one of the best coloured chips on offer.
The fish also delivered on taste. In its favour, for me, was the fact that the skin was still left on.
Though I can appreciate not everyone is a fan of this, I think it adds a nice variety to the flavour, especially when you're tucking into it by the sea.
SCORE: 7/10
Tunny Club: £8.95
I WAS impressed by this award-winning takeaway's unique twist on the classic dish – a fish and chip wrap, featuring battered haddock, chips, and tartar sauce all bundled together.
It came in at a very reasonable price, and I was pleasantly surprised by the innovation, which made a pleasant change from your usual takeaway tray.
8/10
Fish Pan: £9.85
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Established in 1960, this old-school seafront take- away unfortunately left me disappointed.
I enjoyed the chips, and the batter looked and tasted good, too.
However, the fish itself was far too greasy for me to enjoy, and was too tough as well, lacking the flakiness I had been told by the experts to be on the lookout for.
SCORE: 5/10
Papa's: £10.18
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SITTING in a prime position on the seafront, a giant sign announces this as Britain's Best Fish and Chips.
Unfortunately, it wasn't on the day I visited. Although the chips were decent, the fish was oily and not as good as many of the others nearby.
But at £10.18 for a regular meal, it was one of the better value shops along the front.
SCORE: 5/10
Carol's Plaice: £9
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A FEW streets away from the beach in a more residential area, this small family-owned shop is not chasing the tourist crowd – but it offered plenty of bang for my buck.
The chips were generously portioned and the batter was a standout.
It's no wonder that Gary from Coronation Street – actor Mikey North – once paid a visit.
8/10
Rennards: £9.15
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THE offering from this town centre chippy was a decent size for the price, and the fish itself was tasty.
The batter wasn't too bad either, though it could have done with crisping up a little bit more.
Unfortunately, the chips were the let-down here, as they were pale, undercooked and overall of poor quality.
5/10
Wackers: £10
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THE understated plain brick frontage of this takeaway just off the main shopping street didn't fill me with buckets of hope.
But at a tenner a portion, I couldn't complain.
The batter had a good golden colour to it, and the chips tasted great with a lovely crispness on the outside. Top whack!
SCORE: 8/10
North Bay Fisheries: £12.50
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THE large queue snaking out of the door proved why this establishment, situated on the opposite side of town, is one of the highest-rated chippies in Scarborough.
The batter and chips all scored top marks, and the fish was tasty too with a more meaty texture.
By far the most expensive takeaway I visited but the portion size was very generous.
9/10
Catch 55: £10
JUST one road back from the seafront, this smart establishment offered a regular meal for a reasonable tenner.
The batter was some of the best I'd had, and the fish was also tasty.
But although the chips were great, they were let down by the fact that there were not as many in my box as other shops had served me.
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