Scarborough named fish and chip capital in the UK
Fish and chips is undoubtedly considered one of the UK's most iconic culinary traditions, with tourists flocking from all corners of the world to sample the classic combo. As thousands head to the coast over the summer, and for many, no trip will be complete without a generous portion of battered, flaky cod and golden chunky chips drenched in salt and tangy vinegar.
Fish and chip shops are estimated to serve a staggering 380 million meals across the nation each year - but which seaside town tops the list as the UK's fish and chip capital? A study has unveiled 20 of the leading locations by analysing the number of fish and chip shops in each local authority area and using those figures to calculate the number of establishments per 100,000 residents.
Ranking as the UK's fish and chip capital is Scarborough, with a whopping 85.35 chippies per 100,000 residents - the equivalent of one chip shop for nearly every 1,200 residents. This traditional seaside town has long drawn visitors with its picturesque harbour, sandy beaches and, with the fresh North Sea catch on its doorstep, an endless supply of tasty fish and chip offerings.
East Lindsey follows in second place with 62.26 fish and chip establishments per 100,000 people - akin to roughly one chippy for every one or two miles of its sprawling 70km coastline, which is home to bustling seaside towns like Skegness. The popular seaside resort of Blackpool unsurprisingly ranks third, with 59.59 chip shops per 100,000 residents.
Known for its iconic tower, picturesque pier and striking illuminations , its traditional seaside fare, such as rock candy and fish and chips, only further shapes its identity as one of the most quintessential British resorts. Hastings, renowned for its historical significance and being home to the oldest beach-based fishing fleet, ranks a close fourth, with 59.37 fish and chip shops per 100,000 residents. The town's rich maritime heritage and local fishing industry is to thank for the extensive number of chippies offering fresh and locally caught fish.
In fifth place is Great Yarmouth, which is home to 57.92 fish and chip shops per 100,000 people. The town was once the centre of the global herring trade, and with fish locally sourced straight from the quay, its love for seafood runs deep, which can only spell good news to the 5 million hungry tourists visiting each year.
Ranking sixth is Gwynedd, Wales' first entry on the list, with 57.23 chip shops per 100,000 residents, while Lancashire's Rossendale is the first non-coastal spot featured in the top ten in seventh place, with 47.99 chippies per 100,000 people. Markku Kanerva, a spokesperson for Suomikasinot, who conducted the survey, said: 'Fish and chip shops continue to be a cornerstone of community life throughout the UK, from Scarborough's historic coastline to Blackpool's busy promenade.
'However, this rich heritage is under threat, with almost half of UK chippies at risk of closing by the end of 2025. 'We're seeing traditional chip shops facing unprecedented challenges. With 62 per cent of these businesses being family-run, each closure represents not just an economic loss, but the end of skills and traditions passed down through generations.'
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The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
This hidden corner of Edinburgh has pretty bakeries, independent book stores and some of the hottest restaurants in the city
Nearby, the thudding, rumbling and rattling of cars juddering over the cobbles reverberates with every passing vehicle. Away from the din, I'm trundling on foot downhill along narrower cobbled passageways that Edinburgh is so well known for. Either side of me are charmingly painted doorways, some with matching garages. Ivy cascades down old stone walls of cottagey-looking mews houses that were once stables and carriage houses, while pastel coloured roses climb up some of them too. I'm walking away from the city centre, to the little dense pocket of Stockbridge, just one mile north from the centre, made up of only a few main streets. It's the much cooler, younger neighbourhood of the city, away from the main tourist trappings and crowds. It's still full of Edinburgh's grand buildings, but it's more relaxed and edgier – no tartan tat here. It's evolved from a suburb dominated by charity shops and mediocre cafes to one with fine dining, independent shops and more bakeries, delis and wine bars than you can shake a stick at. It's only a short 15 minute walk, but it's a heatwave and the mercury's at a hefty 28C. Above, the cloudless sky looks like a blanket enveloping the tops of the aged and slightly blackened sandstone townhouses. As soon as I'm in Stockbridge, I make a beeline for Joelato, a little gelateria, for a small creamy pot of pistachio gelato and instantly I feel like I'm on holiday. I'm visiting Stockbridge in July – peak summer holiday season – but everyone I meet says Edinburgh is quiet. This city runs at its own pace, as come August, Edinburgh Fringe Festival transforms it into the world's biggest performance arts festival and the city basically doesn't sleep for a month. So many restaurants, shops, cafes and bars, even outside the centre, take stock before their busiest period ramps up. One place in Stockbridge that is busy all year-round since it opened two years ago, with queues snaking out of the door and well round the corner (and not just on weekends), is Lannan Bakery. Owner Darcie Maher (former baker at the nearby Palmerston restaurant) knew Stockbridge was right for her, and says the area is so special as it "feels like its own little town that's very self-sufficient'. She adds: 'People come to Stockbridge for the Sunday farmer's market, the bakeries, the walks and it's not really like that in other areas.' The first time I went to the newly opened Lannan, I strode up around 10.30am on a Saturday, only to find it devoid of any pastries, just staff clearing down – they'd totally sold out. NowDarcie has tripled its production space and soon is opening a pre-orders collection point in a new pantry shop next door. After learning my lesson, this time I joined before 9am (though Darcie says aim for 8/8.30am) and an hour later, I'm inside. The bakery's walnut wood and glass top counter is packed with bakes from glistening sticky cardamom buns neatly lined up (I take one), to sour cherry-topped jaffa cakes (I take one of these,too) which are a fun play on a British favourite, while mini raspberry and tonka flans show off pastry flair. The walls are a deliciously buttery yellow, and there's a strong design ethos which Darcie says she'd been thinking about for over a year. Back outside, the jewel in Stockbridge's crown is St Stephen's Street, which still has the 19th century arched market entrance. Despite the market being long gone, its ethos runs deep, with independent shops ranging from antiques, vintage clothes and independent books to Japanese artisan knives, along with bars, pubs and restaurants. It's also home to one of my favourite restaurants, and not even just in Edinburgh, or Scotland. The mood lighting of subterranean Skua, owned by chef Tomás Gormley, feels like a late night New York bar. It's famed for its fried chicken with fermented peach hot sauce and excellent value, punchy sharing menu. This opening is part of the resurgence of the area's more casual dining scene. Tomás says Stockbridge is laid back and is "always a good place to go for dinner, not necessarily with a plan". Space comes at a premium – there's rarely empty shops, restaurants or buildings here. "When we took over Skua it was a retirement thing, the Blue Parrot [a Mexican restaurant] had been open for 20 years," he explains. Businesses want to be here, and hang on to their spaces. On the other side of Stockbridge is Gormley's fine dining restaurant, Cardinal. Also dark but with added drama and zest from abstract art, it has one of the most exciting wine lists in the city, where the sommelier's efforts of finding very diverse and fun pairings haven't gone unnoticed. Highlights include Field Blend, a deliciously complex copper-rose wine paired with the tomato, basil and strawberry dish from regenerative vineyard, Ham Street, in Kent, as well as the sour Belgium lambic (wild fermented) beer made with cherries to accompany the Mull cheddar and onion tartlet. Back in Stockbridge's centre, I'm walking along Raeburn Place, the area's main artery. Each time I'm here, I notice a handful of new bakeries, coffeeshops and restaurants. New (to me) this time is Harkness Pies, Civerinos pizzeria and Mootz's chunky deli style sandwiches, which sit among others such as Asian food bar, Bento, the Pastry Section patisserie, Herbie's Deli, and trusty restaurants like Scran & Scallie or long-time resident, George Bower butchers. There had been one thing missing among the glittering fine dining restaurants like Michelin-starred Avery and those worthy of one such as eòrna. "I thought it was missing a casual restaurant where I could go for a really good relaxed meal, with a nice bottle of wine that wouldn't cost the earth," says sommelier and now restaurant owner, James Clark. So he opened it himself with Sotto, an Italian-inspired trattoria on Deanhaugh Street. The standout feature here is the set lunch – just £22 for two courses and £26 for three. Sotto took over from Ping On, a legendary Cantonese restaurant that stood there for 56 years, to become a cool, calming space, dishing up generous portion sizes of spaghetti alla ricotta e limon and an excellent crispy chicken Caesar salad that instantly transports you to Italy. "We have that neighborhood community feel already, which is exactly what I wanted to achieve," adds James, who loves the eclectic mix of people living in Stockbridge which he says makes it an appealing place to open. It's also Stockbridge's green spaces that he thinks are a pull to the area. Another first for me is Inverleith Park – a huge expanse covering 54 acres. Walking into the park, I stop at the bankside above the boating ponds, often home to swans, and look back towards the New Town up to the castle, which stands proud on the horizon. The park's full of picnickers and sunbathers and we walk along the tree-lined pathway to the Royal Botanical Gardens, which cover another 70 acres with the famed Victorian glass house that's currently closed for renovations. After a stroll, it's time to eat again. Over the past few years, restaurant openings rarely have more than a few months between them, and my next stop is Moss, also on St Stephen's Street, which opened in January. Chef owner Henry Dobson wanted to make every part of the menu Scottish – though of course, that's currently a step too far when it comes to the wine list, our server jokingly admits. Henry is the former head of fermentation chef at three-Michelin starred Noma in Copenhagen (repeatedly awarded best restaurant in the world) and many of the ingredients come from Henry's family farm in Angus (two hours north), while others come from nearby Fife or East Lothian. Of course, preservation is key here, with kilner jars filled with all sorts adorning the walls. It's a la carte and one of his signatures is his unusual use of blue spirulina, a type of algae that's usually green. It's used on my cured mackerel dish with gooseberry, spurred honey and elderflower mayo with delicate little splodges that still feel a little at odds on a plate – but it absolutely works. While walking back to where I'm staying, I reflect on whether I could see myself living here, and agree with Darcie Maher – Stockbridge is very self-sufficient. And despite the annoying din of cars rumbling over cobbles, this visit has me thinking that I really could. Maybe it's the sunshine, maybe it's the Italian gelato – but with all this on your doorstep, it's certainly hard to leave such a perfectly formed little bubble. The best places to go in Stockbridge:
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
Tourists with cameras are now as bad as the trophy hunters
Once upon a time, the big difference between a big-game hunter and a safari tourist was that the former brought death to the bush while the latter brought only wonder — but that's changing fast. Last week the South African guide Nick Kleer posted shocking footage from the Mara River in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania showing tourists and their vehicles blocking a riverbank as a herd of wildebeest tried to cross. The post has sparked outrage from guides, lodge owners and tour operators, but that fury seems disingenuous because what was shown in Kleer's video has been going on for years. The Great Migration — in which about two million wildebeest, zebras and gazelles follow the rains around the plains of the Serengeti and Masai Mara — is considered to be the most spectacular natural show on earth. It has the challenges, tragedies and triumphs of any epic and, as such, it's high on the wish lists of millions. 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Others, again mainly calves, tried to turn back but were trampled beneath the hooves of the oncoming masses. By the time it was over three more wildebeest were dead, with three more stranded on river beaches with broken limbs and little hope of survival. This was a tiny event in the grand drama of the migration, but these deaths would not have occurred had tourists not been blocking the exit routes. • Read our full guide to Africa Sadly, you'll see similar ignorance, selfishness and greed almost every day in the Serengeti and the MMNR. I've counted 41 vehicles parked around a single leopard in an acacia tree; picked up a basket full of plastic, wet wipes, cans and bottles from a sundowner site; seen a fist fight break out after two amateur photographers climbed onto another party's vehicle to get a better angle; and watched an open-topped Land Cruiser repeatedly charge through a herd of zebras so the whooping photographers on board could capture the panic. Such disrespect is not limited to Africa. I've witnessed a car crash in Ranthambore National Park in India as guides jostled to get their clients to the front of a crowd around a tiger, while Yala National Park in Sri Lanka is the only protected area where I've seen roadkill. In Kenya and in Tanzania safari tourism is divided between the so-called value sector — in which guests pay upwards of £800 per person per night in high season for five-star accommodation — and the mass market, in which you can book a day trip from Nairobi for as little as £227. Those in the former are taken on two game drives a day by a qualified guide; the latter typically get a driver with minimal knowledge. 'These guys are earning maybe [£15] a day, but if they promise the world they can make maybe six times that in tips,' said an MMNR guide who wished to remain anonymous. 'But I know qualified guides who are just as bad. We depend on good reviews so it is very hard to resist a client who is saying, 'I want to be at the front at the crossing and I will pay you well.'' The value sector blames all the bad behaviour and overcrowding on the day-trippers at the cheap end of the market, but that's not entirely fair. Guests from two high-end lodges were filmed at the Kogatende crossing last week and, regardless of the finger-pointing, the truth is that — with no cap on peak-season visitor numbers — overtourism has arrived in the bush and it's hurting the wildlife. Two years ago the MMNR's new management plan warned that overcrowding was not only spoiling the tourist experience but was also leading to habitat degradation and 'a major decline in several of the reserve's charismatic wildlife species'. • Two women died on safari last week — are these trips becoming more dangerous? Access to the Serengeti is relatively cheap (£3 a day for Tanzanians and £52 for foreigners) and — while many in the industry say that a significant increase in fees is the most effective way to limit numbers — the Tanzania National Parks Authority is actively encouraging low-cost, high-volume tourism and will raise prices by just 15 per cent in 2026. However, it is not guaranteed that higher prices would limit numbers. Last summer the entrance fee to the MMNR for foreigners increased from £52 to £150 a day. Official arrival figures aren't yet available, but anecdotal evidence suggests that it's had little effect on demand — and last week President Ruto of Kenya announced a new push to increase overall visitors from three million in 2025 to five million in 2027. Restricting visitor numbers to the Serengeti and the MMNR, perhaps by copying the Rwandan model of limited permits, would reduce pressure on wildlife but would require significant increases in conservation fees and risk turning safari tourism into even more of a pursuit for the rich than it is now. And this won't improve behaviour. Guides always want to earn tips; tourists (especially the frantic ones with the big cameras) always want the best view at every sighting — and that doesn't change because you're paying £1,100 a night in a top-end lodge rather than £227 for a day trip in a pop-top minibus. One argument is that the parks can do without the so-called box-tickers who come for migration, but every species in the Greater Mara ecosystem — and elsewhere in the protected areas of Africa — is dependent on tourism for its survival. Take away the tourists, the conservation argument goes, and the only way to make that grassland pay is to put cattle on it. Calls for heavier sanctions on irresponsible tourist traffic have fallen on deaf ears in park administrations, so here is a simple, effective fix: position rangers at the key crossing points during migration and ban all safari vehicles from approaching within 1,000ft until the herds have moved on. The industry will argue that the crossings are the most exciting and dramatic feature of the migration, and a ban on getting close up will hit bookings. Maybe it will, especially from the trophy hunters dreaming of an award-winning photo. But is their money worth the life of a single wildebeest? Share your views in the comments
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Huge sum Ed Miliband's green policies will add to every family's energy bills as PM's pledge to cut costs in tatters
ED Miliband's Net Zero policies will cost every household £389 a year by 2030, Tory analysis today reveals. The Labour government has pledged to totally decarbonise Britain's energy grid within the next five years. 4 4 4 They plan to do this by splurging vast amounts on new wind and solar farms as well as banning new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea. Brits have already spent £700 million this year to pay wind farms to STOP producing energy because the National Grid cannot cope with energy surges. The government's dash to go green will send the cost of bills rocketing to a whopping £22.8 billion by 2030, Tory number crunchers say. This will leave the government's pledge to cut £300 from energy bills in tatters, according to the research. Instead it will end up adding another £389 to the cost of household bills for 27 million UK Brits. Tory MP Nick Timothy - who carried out the research - said: 'Energy becomes more expensive with each day Ed Miliband remains in office. 'While Miliband blames fossil fuels for higher bills, he is pumping up prices by throwing more government-imposed costs onto energy bills. 'Wind and solar are being propped up by a complicated web of hidden cash to hoodwink you into thinking they are cheap. But they are not. 'Renewables will cost billions more. This is Ed Miliband's world – and you're paying for it.' Sir Keir Starmer is under massive pressure to act on UK energy costs - which are some of the highest in the world. Keir Starmer's deranged drive for Net Zero with eco-zealot Ed Miliband is a threat to UK's national security- here's why In stark contrast the US - which uses more fossil fuels - has far lower prices. Donald Trump used a meeting with the PM in Scotland earlier this week to launch a blistering attack on wind farms for pushing up prices and scarring the countryside. In toe-curling scenes, the PM sat ashen-faced as the US President unleashed both barrels on his wind farm push - branding them a 'con job'. Speaking at his Turnberry golf course, Mr Trump fumed: 'Wind is the most expensive form of energy, and it destroys the beauty of your fields and your plains and your waterways.' Urging the PM to lift the ban on new oil and gas drilling, he added: 'You can take a thousand times more energy out of a hole in the ground this big - it's called oil and gas.' The analysis carried out by Mr Timothy's office looked at the hidden cost of renewable energy by trawling through official figures and research papers. It found that Brits pay billions of pounds to subsidise the building of renewable energy plants, like wind and solar. But the National Grid - which carries electricity from power plants to peoples homes - is very old and cannot cope with large surges of energy. This results in a barmy situation which means the government actually PAYS wind farms to stop turning when it is too windy. Some £700m has already been paid this year to turn wind farms off. Wind farms are also paid more for their energy than fossil fuel providers, the analysis found. Offshore wind will cost £113 per MWh under the latest contracts. The average cost of electricity last year was £72 per MWh. These direct subsidies for renewables inflate the cost of energy bills. There are also extra costs known as 'Balancing Costs' - the name given to the process the National Grid has to pay to ensure balance and supply of power is maintained daily. These charges end up being passed onto consumers in higher bills, researchers said. 4 The study found the hidden cost of renewables on our bills was £12.3BN in 2023/24. This is predicted to hit £22.8BN by 2030. This is just the estimated cost to Brits's bills over the next few years - and the overall cost of going green by 2050 is far higher. The Office for Budget Responsibility estimated it will cost a massive £803 billion to hit Net Zero by 2050. A spokesman for the department for Net Zero said: 'These claims are fundamentally misleading. 'They wilfully ignore the benefits of clean power and wrongly assume the required network infrastructure will not be built over the next five years. 'Only by sprinting to clean power by 2030 can the UK take back control of its energy and protect both family and national finances from fossil fuel price spikes.' Time to act now – or we all pay price IT was the most excruciating television I have seen in years. By Nick Timothy, Tory MP for West Suffolk Sitting next to the Prime Minister, Donald Trump said Labour's taxes on North Sea oil and gas 'make no sense' and he called Ed Miliband's wind farms a 'con job'. Keir Starmer looked like a rabbit in the headlights, because he knew what Trump said was true. The eco policies this Labour government is pursuing simply make no sense. They are spinning us a lie. The government tells us we must urgently hit Net Zero targets because the cost of fossil fuels are unaffordably high. But renewables cost more money and push up bills. They say Britain must build more wind and solar farms so we can wean ourselves of foreign gas and become energy sufficient. But at the same time No10 bans new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea - leaving us more dependent on imports. And the government tells us this dash to go green will create thousands and thousands of new jobs. Yet the trade unions who actually represent energy workers say Labour's zealous eco policies could cause tens of thousands of well-paid British workers to be laid off. It is a mad Alice in Wonderland world where down is up and up is down. Ed Miliband has gone through the Looking Glass. His policies are the stuff of the Mad Hatter. And today I can reveal that Labour's Net Zero drive will cost an estimated £23 billion a year by 2030. That is the equivalent of slapping another £389 a year onto the cost of living for households. It is a cost this country cannot afford. Let me give you a few examples to show you just how barmy our energy policy has become under 'Red Ed'. First- the oil and gas industry. Just weeks after winning the election, Labour banned new licences to drill for oil and gas in the North Sea. Furious trade unions said that up to 30,000 UK jobs could be lost, but their dire warnings fell on deaf ears. But the most ridiculous thing is that Britain still imports oil and gas taken from the very same seabed from Norway. So, Norway gets to keep the taxes, profits and jobs, while the UK goes without. It is a grotesque example of self-harm. Second - the bizarre case of the Drax power station in North Yorkshire. It imports wood from halfway around the world to burn, yet the UK taxpayer has spent billions of pounds in green subsidies on the power station. This simply makes no sense. Third - the sky high cost of wind and solar energy. Labour has set the UK insane targets to quadruple offshore wind and double onshore wind in just five years. But energy produced by these wind farms is actually MORE expensive. Ed Miliband has promised wind farms a fixed price of £113 per MWh for the next 20 years. That is 50 per cent HIGHER than the average cost of electricity. The cost of building new wind and solar farms is also enormous. An estimated £40 billion a year will be spent upgrading the National Grid, and rolling out new pylons and battery storage sites. Worst of all, wind and solar are even paid NOT to produce energy. This is because our creaking National Grid cannot handle big surges of energy. So when it is particularly windy they have to pay wind farms to switch off. This year alone we have paid £700 million to wind farms to STOP generating power. It is bananas. Brits also have to pay for environmental levies. These are extra charges baked into energy bills to pay for the development of new greener energy supplies. Labour are sending environmental levies hurtling towards £14.8 billion in 2030. The PM promised he would cut energy bills by £300 by the next election. But the opposite is true. They are getting bigger and bigger. No wonder President Trump thinks we are mad. Our energy costs are twice those in America. As a result their economy is booming while ours is stagnating. The US President could see the truth and was unafraid to say it. Britain needs to completely change course. It's time to junk the clean power target and support energy policies that actually work. We should take the US President's advice and 'drill baby drill' in the North Sea. We should expand nuclear energy. And we should ditch our expensive green energy levies and subsidies. Otherwise we remain Ed Miliband's mad world – and we will all pay the price.
