Mysteries of our time no 1 - Chip shops

So back to the original point of fast food, is this more about what's an acceptable time to wait for your fast food?
Pretty much yes. A fish and chip shop, *generally* people want fish. If they want a pie or chicken or something, fair enough you might have to wait. But fish, for crying out loud have some ready to go.
Indian or Chinese takeaway, yes you have to wait they'd have no idea what you want would they. Even then they seem to be quicker than the chippy sometimes!
 
You really don't understand, do you? Freshly cooked fish is *much* better.

I agree, but it's not important to everyone. I agree that a fish and chip shop ought to have fish and chips ready to go. It's not rocket science.
 
I'm guessing at busy times them it would make sense to have some favourite items ready, or that was you could upsell, sorry sir no cod cooked at the moment, we've got haddock etc
But with the price of fish, I'm guessing they don't want too much going to waste.

Cheltenham council sent chippies advice:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...cooking-chips-telling-size-shape-oil-use.html

There's an interesting nutritional breakdown here:
http://www.federationoffishfriers.co.uk/pages/nutritional-info-605.htm
 
Thanks to this thread I had fish and chips last night for the first time in a year. And it was lovely :p
 
I'm guessing at busy times them it would make sense to have some favourite items ready, or that was you could upsell, sorry sir no cod cooked at the moment, we've got haddock etc
But with the price of fish, I'm guessing they don't want too much going to waste.

IIRC, busy chip shops used to do this years ago, when there was usually a queue in the evenings. I haven't been to a chip shop for a long time, but I've heard that the ones in the local town are struggling now. Very few customers for some reason.
 
You really don't understand, do you? Freshly cooked fish is *much* better.
If its a busy shop it'll only be on the counter a few minutes, I dont see the problem. If it was sat there for hours then yes I see the point.
 
Very few customers for some reason.
Probably microwave meals and the high prices of cod/haddock these days have an impact. Still cheaper than a curry and rice for a take out though.
 
Probably many reasons, huge range of alternatives these days, promotion of healthy foods/lifestyles, lack of disposable income for takeaways...
 
I always get mine done fresh, but then I do have to get it cooked in the special fryer.. which is also an excuse to get proper piece of haddock and none of this cod stuff the locals seem prepared to accept..

(gluten-free - worth trying even if you're not a coeliac as it generally has a lighter, crispier and drier batter)


Lucky You - I have no local Gluten Free fish shops locally ( nearest is a 40 miles trip) and typically I find that most others then they tell you they do Gluten free except the day after a bank holiday or when there's an R in the month..................... :(
 
To be fair though, if every small food outlet, offered variations for every food intolerance (I realise coeliac is more severe), or every possible allergy, they'd go out of business.
 
Lucky You - I have no local Gluten Free fish shops locally ( nearest is a 40 miles trip) and typically I find that most others then they tell you they do Gluten free except the day after a bank holiday or when there's an R in the month..................... :(
I'm get worried by some of these gluten-free only on certain days chip shops.. "gluten-free only on mondays" suggests they drain down the oil and clean the fryers/filters once a week, but when gluten-free is only offered once a month you begin to wonder how bad the oil is getting in the week before the gluten-free day!

My "local" g-f chippy is 25 minutes away, but it was our favourite anyway - a nice run to the coast on a summer evening to sit and eat fish and chips in the car on the cliff top. A more local chippy has said they're going to set-up a separate fryer and also offer GF any time they're open, but they haven't yet convinced me they fully understand what is involved. When I first spoke to them they were thinking the dedicated fryer would be for the fish only!
 
To be fair though, if every small food outlet, offered variations for every food intolerance (I realise coeliac is more severe), or every possible allergy, they'd go out of business.
A couple of weeks ago we were at out local GF chippy (Vegas, Hunstanton) and we're sat waiting on our order (GF haddock supper for me, scampi supper for my partner) and the chap behind us asked if GF was popular as they were on holiday and thought it fantastic their daughter (coeliac) could have a chip supper, well of the twenty or so orders that came in whilst we were there about 1/3rd included a GF request. Now Hunstanton is a special case given that there's several thousand static caravans full of tourists during the season - but a chippy like Vegas gets a reputation in the GF community and word spreads. Not every chippy needs a GF option, but given that 1% of the population are estimated to be Coeliac so there should be sufficient demand for at least one in every large town.

The next time you're in Pizza Express count the number of pizzas going out the kitchen on black slates rather than plates - you'll e amazed how profitable it can be to be Coeliac friendly :D
 
I'm get worried by some of these gluten-free only on certain days chip shops.. "gluten-free only on mondays" suggests they drain down the oil and clean the fryers/filters once a week, but when gluten-free is only offered once a month you begin to wonder how bad the oil is getting in the week before the gluten-free day!

My "local" g-f chippy is 25 minutes away, but it was our favourite anyway - a nice run to the coast on a summer evening to sit and eat fish and chips in the car on the cliff top. A more local chippy has said they're going to set-up a separate fryer and also offer GF any time they're open, but they haven't yet convinced me they fully understand what is involved. When I first spoke to them they were thinking the dedicated fryer would be for the fish only!

Yes, cross-contamination of food is rife in a lot of outlets/restaurants and is a big issue for me.

Just spoke to my nearest shop and they have improved - Frying G-F all day long Thursday through to Sunday and give them an hours notice on other days to switch on the dedicated fryer, that is used for both Fish and Chips :) So no cliff top excursions; as it's located in the middle of a village shop parade, but better than nothing.
 
I wonder how many of the GF requests are actually from actual coelecanths( sp) or just Guardian reading numpties ordering it to be Hip?
They're more likely to be red top reading numpties as the tabloids are far more likely to splash the Paltrow Diet garbage across the front page.

My guess is that about 90% of GF requests are from Coeliacs or people with other conditions linked to wheat intolerance/allergy - there's far more of us than you imagine.


Now, as we've used the correct spelling several times already you couldn't possibly be more condescendingly f*ck-witted if you tried, both taking the p*ss out of the name of the condition and linking us to some hip/fad diet. It's a life-long autoimmune condition with no prospect of a cure and it's bad enough being faced with paying three times over the odds for some basic food commodities without idiots like you taking the p*ss. So why don't you just f*ck off if you've nothing worthwhile to type?
 
I wonder how many of the GF requests are actually from actual coelecanths( sp) or just Guardian reading numpties ordering it to be Hip?


Yes, there can be an element of "hip" to declare you are G-F;), my wife and some of her friends do say they prefer [my] G-F foods as it produces less bloating of their stomachs after eating.
 
They're more likely to be red top reading numpties as the tabloids are far more likely to splash the Paltrow Diet garbage across the front page.

My guess is that about 90% of GF requests are from Coeliacs or people with other conditions linked to wheat intolerance/allergy - there's far more of us than you imagine.


Now, as we've used the correct spelling several times already you couldn't possibly be more condescendingly f*ck-witted if you tried, both taking the p*ss out of the name of the condition and linking us to some hip/fad diet. It's a life-long autoimmune condition with no prospect of a cure and it's bad enough being faced with paying three times over the odds for some basic food commodities without idiots like you taking the p*ss. So why don't you just f*ck off if you've nothing worthwhile to type?

My brother gets his basics on prescription, and pays a yearly "season" price that covers all his prescription costs. Saves him a fortune.
 
If its a busy shop it'll only be on the counter a few minutes, I dont see the problem. If it was sat there for hours then yes I see the point.
If they were to try and give me what was ready on the counter I tell in no uncertain words that they bloody well wont and demand to have some freshly cooked.

If the next or two come in and walk out with that piece of fish that has been laying there I cant help but think; sucker :p

It makes much more sense to cook it fresh. It doesn't take long anyway.
 
If the next or two come in and walk out with that piece of fish that has been laying there I cant help but think; sucker
Your chippie does octopus? Do you live in Highgate?
 
I think he was saying it IS local if you are in Padstow. Everything is local to somewhere (*)...


(*) Somewhere : Strange-looking commuter town you end up in after falling asleep on train home from pub crawl. Principal import: drunk happy people. Principal export: drunk annoyed people. Twinned with : Someware, Noware, Taxi-on-the-Credit-Card
 
I think he was saying it IS local if you are in Padstow. Everything is local to somewhere
That reminds me of an old Tommy Cooper joke.
So I phoned my local swimming pool. I said ‘Is that the local swimming pool?
‘He said ‘It depends where you’re calling from.'”
 
b****r. Is that it? Maybe we should complain more... I don't really enjoy take away fish and chips now and every time we have them I throw a little paddy and say it's the last time. If they'd solve the melting batter issue I'd be very happy.
I rarely bother with them now as they're rarely as good as when I was a kid. I'm surprised how awful some seaside chip shops are though.
 
You don't get long to hold something before it's no good and dried out/chewy. Cooked to order tastes better, saves on waste and potentially electric if you keep the heater cabinet switched off. Of course over tea time time then you'd want to have a few things ready to go.

Conversely if it's really busy, you can only cook so much stuff in one go that it will all be sold out before the next batch has cooked, still ends up as people waiting.

I used to enjoy frying fish in the chippy.
I hated working in a chippy, I did so for years. Missus always in bed when I got home, next morning she would say you were late in. I would say sorry did I make a noise. She would reply, no I could smell you!
 
Back
Top