Chip Shop discussion

[Ashley Hill]

In south of England its run by asians or middle easterns, almost if the orignal owners sold at some point.

Bit of a generalisation there.

 

[D6130]

In Scotland chippys are often run and owned by old italian family's or locals.

During my stay in the West End of Glasgow - from 1978 to 1983 - I often used to buy fish & chips from the wonderful Italian-owned art deco University Cafe at the bottom of Byres Road. I wonder if it is still in business? The long story of how thousands of Italians from the Barga area of North-Western Tuscany came to Scotland in the mid-nineteenth century and ended-up running hundreds of cafes, restaurants, pizzerie, ice cream parlours and chippies probably deserves a thread of its own.

 

[Ashley Hill]

During my stay in the West End of Glasgow - from 1978 to 1983 - I often used to buy fish & chips from the wonderful Italian-owned art deco University Cafe at the bottom of Byres Road. I wonder if it is still in business? The long story of how thousands of Italians from the Barga area of North-Western Tuscany came to Scotland in the mid-nineteenth century and ended-up running hundreds of cafes, restaurants, pizzerie, ice cream parlours and chippies probably deserves a thread of its own.

There was a piece on this on an episode of Inside Glasgow Central on BBC Scotland. It featured the well known chip shop under the umbrella.

 

[D6130]

There's a long-established chain of chippies in and around Glasgow called "Blue Lagoon"....including a branch in Gordon Street, just on the right as you come out of the main entrance to Central Station. I'm not sure whether or not they're Italian-owned, but their deep-fried Mars Bars are placed very discreetly, using small letters, in the bottom corner of the menu. It's almost as though they don't want too many people to order them....or possibly that they're too embarrassed to sell them. Going further back into the early 'seventies, when my friends and I used to regularly visit Polmadie depot (morning) and Eastfield depot (afternoon) on a Saturday, after alighting from the train at Springburn we used to patronise a chippy on the left-hand side of Springburn Road en route to Eastfield. Our default lunch in those days was haggis supper (sic). For the benefit of our friends South of the border, that means haggis and chips....at whatever time of the day it is served!

 

[McRhu]

@D6130 And the Blue Lagoon (Hielanman's Umbrella) had/has a secret underground doorway into the dungeon levels of Central Station. I suspect this goes back to the days of Caledonian Railway directors secretly nipping out for a clandestine deep fried mars bar (or deep fried Fry's Five Boys as it would've been then.)

 

[route101]

During my stay in the West End of Glasgow - from 1978 to 1983 - I often used to buy fish & chips from the wonderful Italian-owned art deco University Cafe at the bottom of Byres Road. I wonder if it is still in business? The long story of how thousands of Italians from the Barga area of North-Western Tuscany came to Scotland in the mid-nineteenth century and ended-up running hundreds of cafes, restaurants, pizzerie, ice cream parlours and chippies probably deserves a thread of its own.

Yes, the University Cafe is still there.

 

[D6130]

And the Blue Lagoon (Hielanman's Umbrella) had/has a secret underground doorway into the dungeon levels of Central Station. I suspect this goes back to the days of Caledonian Railway directors secretly nipping out for a clandestine deep fried mars bar (or deep fried Fry's Five Boys as it would've been then.)

....or more likely a uniformed waitress from the chippy would take the delicacy through the secret passageway and up to the boardroom on a silver salver with crisply-ironed white linen napkins. No doubt the company would have had a credit arrangement with the owners, which may have had to be terminated due to the company's profligacy in building useless railways which never opened on the Lanarkshire/Ayrshire border. (Oops, sorry....wrong thread!)

 

[route101]

There's a long-established chain of chippies in and around Glasgow called "Blue Lagoon"....including a branch in Gordon Street, just on the right as you come out of the main entrance to Central Station. I'm not sure whether or not they're Italian-owned, but their deep-fried Mars Bars are placed very discreetly, using small letters, in the bottom corner of the menu. It's almost as though they don't want too many people to order them....or possibly that they're too embarrassed to sell them. Going further back into the early 'seventies, when my friends and I used to regularly visit Polmadie depot (morning) and Eastfield depot (afternoon) on a Saturday, after alighting from the train at Springburn we used to patronise a chippy on the left-hand side of Springburn Road en route to Eastfield. Our default lunch in those days was haggis supper (sic). For the benefit of our friends South of the border, that means haggis and chips....at whatever time of the day it is served!

Blue Lagoon not the best chippy. Merchant Chippie is one in Glasgow City Centre to go to. I have seen Haggis on the menu in some northern english chippies but I think its due to them having a Scottish supplier of goods.

 

[D6130]

Merchant Chippie is one in Glasgow City Centre to go to.

Where is that?....or are there multiple branches?

 

[route101]

Where is that?....or are there multiple branches?

It's just down the road from high st station.

 

[westv]

Does anybody buy "rock salmon" or even actually eat it?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Does anybody buy "rock salmon" or even actually eat it?

Also variously known as "huss" or more likely "dogfish".

Probably anyone who buys "fish and chips" where the type of "fish" isn't actually specified has probably had it!

 

[Gonzoiku]

Last night's "Food Unwrapped Does Great Britain" on Channel 4 (at 8 p.m.) featured something which is apparently used in certain chippies called "non brewed condiment". WTF?!

Food labelling regulations at work there. I assume it's acetic acid produced chemically rather than vinegar from the EU "wine lake".

Can't stand either of them. Salt on the chips for me. Tallow fried if possible.

GZ

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Food labelling regulations at work there.

Almost certainly. The interviewee was at pains to assert that the stuff (i.e. non brewed condiment) was "food safe" but that one still had to make absolutely sure that the concentrate had been correctly diluted before using.

 

[route101]

*Noticed cod roe in a southern chippy. Not seen that anywhere else.

 

[D6968]

Also variously known as "huss" or more likely "dogfish".

Isn’t a ‘dogfish’ something to do with the Permanent Way?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Isn’t a ‘dogfish’ something to do with the Permanent Way?

It's a 24 ton capacity BR-era ballast hopper, isn't it?


'Dogfish' railway hopper. Source: Bluebell Railway website.

Anyhoo, shame on you for dragging this non-railway thread off topic, this being a railway forum and all!

 

[507020]

It's a 24 ton capacity BR-era ballast hopper, isn't it?

Could one be used to transport fish and chips to the nearest chip shop?

 

[Lemmy99uk]

Noticed cod roe in a southern chippy. Not seen that anywhere else.

One of my favourites. Used to get it in Birmingham.

 

[RuddA]

I think my local chippy near Norwich has just started selling cod roe again after a few months not able to source it.
Every Easter they do battered creme eggs. As I don't like them I've never tried one but I believe they sell well.
Large code has recently gone up to £9 (I think regular is closer to £7).

 

[johncrossley]

Does anyone go to 'award winning' fish and chip shops? There's one I go to near Croydon (when I'm in the area) that is award winning, and is expensive (£10 for small cod and chips), but I like the way they always cook the fish when you order it and that seems to make a difference. When you walk in, the lady at the till asks you what you want and then she shouts to the kitchen "2 cod!" (or whatever you ordered) and then you wait. You pay just before the fish is cooked. There's another one near Woking I like. Both these places have a restaurant attached.

 

[peri]

Hull patties are mashed potatoes with sage and onion in batter, useful now that fish is so expensive.
According to wikipedia:- "It is commonly sold in the British port towns of Hartlepool, Hull, Wirral, Liverpool, North Tyneside, Kirkwall and Thurso."
Has anyone tasted patties anywhere other than Hull and are they as good?

 

[route101]

Does anyone go to 'award winning' fish and chip shops? There's one I go to near Croydon (when I'm in the area) that is award winning, and is expensive (£10 for small cod and chips), but I like the way they always cook the fish when you order it and that seems to make a difference. When you walk in, the lady at the till asks you what you want and then she shouts to the kitchen "2 cod!" (or whatever you ordered) and then you wait. You pay just before the fish is cooked. There's another one near Woking I like. Both these places have a restaurant attached.

I went to the Antsruther chippy last month. I thought it would be a good idea to sit outside and eat it but it was cold and my supper went cold quick. It wasn't cooked fresh for me. The shop was quiet, I should of asked to get me a fresh one.

 

[D821]

Hull patties are mashed potatoes with sage and onion in batter, useful now that fish is so expensive.
According to wikipedia:- "It is commonly sold in the British port towns of Hartlepool, Hull, Wirral, Liverpool, North Tyneside, Kirkwall and Thurso."
Has anyone tasted patties anywhere other than Hull and are they as good?

I've never seen them in Merseyside. I will be looking now, though!

 

[westv]

Hull patties are mashed potatoes with sage and onion in batter, useful now that fish is so expensive.
According to wikipedia:- "It is commonly sold in the British port towns of Hartlepool, Hull, Wirral, Liverpool, North Tyneside, Kirkwall and Thurso."
Has anyone tasted patties anywhere other than Hull and are they as good?

not tried them myself despite plenty of opportunities but, as I mentioned earlier, a meal with just two potato ingredients just doesn't appeal.

 

[McRhu]

Does it have to be sea fish? Could we diversify into freshwater fish & chips? I have the Clyde running through my garden, seething with trout and grayling. And the Kelvin in Glasgow has an abundance of lampreys apparently.

 

[johncrossley]

If you are unsure about a chippy, it is a safer bet to go for sausage and chips. It is vastly cheaper than fish and chips and while fish and chips can be amazing or horrible, sausage and chips is normally OK.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Thoughts anyone as regards the practice of deep frying pies, which tend to be prevalent North of the Border?

 

[Enthusiast]

It's a 24 ton capacity BR-era ballast hopper, isn't it?

View attachment 115536
'Dogfish' railway hopper. Source: Bluebell Railway website.

Anyhoo, shame on you for dragging this non-railway thread off topic, this being a railway forum and all!

I couldn't eat a whole one of those. With or without "Non-brewed condiment". On that topic, it was named as a result of food descriptions, but a long time before the EU's wine lake was formed:

Non-brewed condiment - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Thoughts anyone as regards the practice of deep frying pies, which tend to be prevalent North of the Border?

Or Mars Bars?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Thoughts anyone as regards the practice of deep frying pies, which tend to be prevalent North of the Border?

Or Mars Bars?

Deep fried Mars Bars have already been mentioned upthread. Can't say I've ever tried one, although that's maybe because I've never been a big fan of Mars Bars.

Deep fried (Steak) pies I have tried, and the pastry, not unsurprisingly, tends to be somewhat rock hard!