Fish and Chips - Information

Is Fish and Chips good for you?

FACT

Nutritional Information

... from the Federation of Fish Friers

Comparison against other takeaway food products.

Fat per 100g

Cals per 100g

5.3g

Fish, Chips and Mushy Peas

153 kcal

11.0g

Pizza

871 kcal

12.1g

Burger and Medium Fries

888 kcal

16.2g

Doner Kebab

942 kcal

Which Fish?

The UK’s favorite fish is Cod and accounts for 61.5% of total fish consumption. Although the North Sea Cod stocks are a serious problem, Cod landed in the UK is caught within strictly controlled regimes and quota systems, which set safe limits for catches agreed by fishermen, scientists and the Government. Fish caught within these quotas will ensure that our children and grandchildren will also be able to enjoy fish and chips for many years to come.

Haddock is the second favorite fish at 25% total consumption. Regional variations include Whiting in Northern Ireland and some parts of Scotland and Skate and Huss in the South of England.

Which Potato?

A floury potato is preferred as a waxy potato can often result in greasy chips. The best varieties are King Edward, Maris Piper and Santé.

One out of every four British potatoes becomes chips. That's around 1,250,000 tonnes of 'taties every year.

Which Extras?

Apart from salt and vinegar...

Mushy Peas are the classic accompaniment to Fish and Chips. Introduced in the 1970s curry sauce has also gained favour as a side dish and is ideal for dunking your chips into.

The only other sauces considered suitable are a splash of tomato ketchup or some like brown sauce, though mayonnaise is very popular in Europe.

HISTORY

No one knows exactly when or how fish and chips came together.

Chips (pommes frites) had arrived in Britain from France in the eighteenth century, though Britons had been eating their own version of chips made from parsnips for centuries.

The first mention of chips was in 1854, when a leading chef included "thin cut potatoes cooked in oil" in his recipe book, Shilling Cookery.

Also in the 1800s, fish warehouses sold fried fish and bread and this was mentioned in Charles Dickens' 1830 novel Oliver Twist.

There are several claims to be the first fish and chip shop from Lancashire and London. We will probably never know for sure, but the trade grew to feed an expanding population, reaching a staggering peak of 35,000 fish and chip shops in the 1930's, levelling out to about 11,000 today.

The Federation of Fish Friers state that in 1995 the British consumed 300 million servings of fish and chips equating to six servings for every man woman and child in the country.

The record for the largest number of portions of fish and chips sold in one day by an independent fish and chip shop is over 4,000!

Fish and Chips kept Britain going during the First World War and were one of only a few foods not rationed in the Second World War.

Penmere Fish Bar

2, Penmere Hill, Falmouth TR11 2RD
01326 314 598

Is Fish and Chips good for you?

Nutritional Information

Which Fish?

Which Potato?

Which Extras?