Celebrate “Chip Week”! My Day at Award Winning Chippy “Fish Bone” in London

Celebrate “Chip Week”! My Day at Award Winning Chippy “Fish Bone” in London

Celebrate “Chip Week”!

My Day at Award Winning Chippy “Fish Bone” in London

Today starts a week of chip appreciation as Chip Week kicks off, a week filled with deep-fried spuds, and a time to visit your local chippy, forgetting the diet, to enjoy a packet of chips, or even better, fish and chips.  To prepare for this week of chip appreciation, I had the opportunity to visit a traditional “chippy” last week, The Fish Bone, with my daughter, where we spent some time learning how to run a successful fish and chip shop whilst sampling the award-winning chips as well as some crispy, golden freshly fried fish. The Fish Bone is a family run business just 15 minutes walk from St Pancras/Kings Cross on Cleveland Street in West London; the winner of the “Best London Chippy Chips Award” for two years running, and I was very keen to sample them.

Celebrate “Chip Week”! My Day at Award Winning Chippy “Fish Bone” in London

Hannah and I walked from St Pancras, a mere fifteen minutes, and as we rounded the corner we could see the Fish Bone chippy with its gaily coloured gingham tablecloths set on tables outside the chip shop. On entering we were met with a long, brightly lit dining area with a gleaming fish counter and fryers to the front of the shop. There was a large blackboard on the back wall where the Fish Bone’s menu was written with accompanying prices. I was pleased to see lots of traditional fish on offer such as the usual cod and haddock as well as plaice, rock and skate. You can choose what size fish you want for the cod option and there is a choice of small or large chips, as well as chips and cheese too, which sounds delicious!

Celebrate “Chip Week”! My Day at Award Winning Chippy “Fish Bone” in London

We were met by Alex, who was frying that day, and I asked her what made their chips “award-winning chips, and her answer was simple – Fresh oil (British rapeseed oil) that is changed regularly, home-cut chips made with Maris Piper potatoes and the correct temperature for one frying of the chips. I was also delighted to learn that their fish comes fresh from Billingsgate Market daily. The Fish Bone also served high quality Pukka Pies, as well as home-made fish cakes, calamari, scampi, fish burgers, fish roe and the ubiquitous chips shop curry sauce, pickled eggs, pickled onions and mushy peas.

Chip Shop Mushy Peas

Inside the dining area, the tables were all set with napkins, salt, pepper and malt vinegar and everything looked fresh and clean. The Fish Bone’s opening hours are:

Monday to Thursday 11.30 am to 10.00 pm

Friday 11.30 am to 11.00 pm

Saturday 4.00 pm to 10.00 pm

Sunday Closed

They also welcome groups and office parties for up to 30 people, as well as individual diners of course, and the chippy is a take-way as well as a restaurant. 

Celebrate “Chip Week”! My Day at Award Winning Chippy “Fish Bone” in London

We were both given the daily specials menu and I chose haddock and chips, whilst Hannah went for a small cod and chips. The fish and chips were freshly fried for us, and as we sat and waited in anticipation, takeaway customers started to stream in – they all appeared to be regulars and they all had different requests!

Freshly fried fish

Our fish and chips duly arrived and we were also served some mushy peas and a pickled onion, both of which I love with fish and chips! My haddock was succulent and perfectly fried in light golden batter, and my chips were sublime, quite honestly some of the best chips I have ever tasted, they were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside with a lovely “potato” flavour.

Haddock and Chips

Hannah’s “small” cod was the same size as my haddock and she said it was moist and beautifully flaky, and that the chips were as good as granddad’s chips! Which, is a huge accolade, as my dad makes wonderful hand-cut chips and also fries them in rapeseed oil for that perfect finish. My mum is also a great “chip maker” and I am sharing her recipe for Crispy Squashed Chips below, as well as her recipe for beer battered fried fish, for those of you who have to wait until the weekend to get your chip shop fish and chips.

Crispy Squashed Chips

To summarise, the Fish Bone is a fabulous family run business that takes pride in what it offers to its customers – it seems that the simple ways are the best ways when it comes to award winning fish and chips – fresh fish daily, hand-peeled and hand-cut chips, clean rapeseed oil and cooking the chips at the correct temperature. It’s an unassuming little chippy in West London that everyone should visit at least once, and their cheerful dining area was warm and cosy for those who want to “eat in”. The fish and chips that we ate were cooked to perfection and the freshness of the fish and the chips were spot on…….in fact, the next time I am in London I have promised myself a fish and chip lunch or supper there! If you are in the area and hankering after some real British fish and chips, make sure you visit the Fish Bone and tell them I sent you! Karen 

Haddock and chips

Recipe:

Crispy Squashed Chips

Crispy Squashed Chips

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Serves	4
Prep time	30 minutes
Cook time	5 minutes
Total time	35 minutes
Region	British
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

The first "chips" were pieces of bread, which were replaced with potatoes during wheat shortages. The first "chippies", a colloquial slang term for a Fish and Chip shop, were Lees's in Mosley, Lancashire, and Malin's in London's East End - opened for trade in the 1860s. During the Second World War, the minister of food wouldn't ration fish and chips because they provided good, cheap nourishment! It is traditional to serve chips piping hot with salt and malt vinegar.

Ingredients

• 900g Old potatoes (such as: King Edward, Maris Piper, Rooster or Sante)
• Vegetable Oil (for frying)
• salt (to season)
• Malt vinegar (to taste)

Note

The more you move the chips around the more crispy bits you get - it's not conventional  know, but we love crispy squashed chips!

Directions

Step 1	Peel the potatoes and cut into sticks about 1cm thick and 8cm long. Put the potatoes in cold water to remove some of the excess starch prior to frying, then drain and dry.
Step 2	Heat oil in a chip pan or deep frying pan and put all of the chips in. Fry until the chips are pale golden, moving them around during frying to get the squashed bits get all crispy. Remove them from the pan and drain on soft kitchen paper'
Step 3	Just before serving, re-heat the oil and fry all the chips until they are very crisp and golden then drain them, and serve immediately with battered fish (wrapped in newspaper if you like) adding salt and vinegar to taste. Or, make a chip butty!

Crispy Squashed Chips

Recipe:

Real English Fish and Chips in Beer Batter

Real English Fish and Chips in Beer Batter

Recipe:

Fish & Chips in a Basket with Mushy Peas

Fish and Chips in a Basket with Mushy Peas

Disclaimer: I was invited to visit the Fish Bone to see inside a British Chippy and I was treated to a free fish and chip meal as part of my review press day. All opinions and views are my own and I was not paid for this post. With thanks to all the staff at the Fish Bone and the team at NexusComms who made my visit so interesting and enjoyable. Karen

The ‘Chip Map of Britain’ reveals regional differences in our chip-eating habits. Based on research into Brits’ chip preferences, the map shows that where we live affects whether we like ours thick, thin or curly… Have a look and see if you agree with the majority vote!

British Chip Map

Inside the Fish Bone

Haddock and Chips

The Fish Bone

A TRADITIONAL FISH & CHIPS RESTAURANT

82 Cleveland Street

Fitzrovia

London

W1T 6NF (Near BT Tower)

For restaurant bookings please call: 020 7580 2672

or E-mail: information@fishbonelondon.co.uk

FULLY LICENSED