A Tale Of Two Chippies....

It has to be said that Yorkshire just cannot do Fish & Chips. 

Over 20 years of visiting the Yorkshire Coast (at least 3 times per year) and we have still to find a decent Chip 'ole. 

I don't know what the problem is. They should be good, (with fish fresh from the North Sea that very day), THEY even say that they ARE good but (like cricket & tea) this is proven to be simply self publicity and the reality is that they are, in fact, fairly poor at them indeed. 

As if the actual fish and chips in the region weren't bad enough, there appears to be a highly desirable custom (amongst locals) of 'scraps' which, as far as I can see, involves dumping a load of dregs from the fryer onto your food. I fell foul of this practice once but never again. 

The next occasion they were offered I declined and the guy behind me nearly exploded in delight saying that they could put mine onto his order if they liked. He looked like he had just won the lottery and was chuckling to himself : "hee hee!, double scraps!! hee hee!" 

So, lacking any 'decent' (never mind 'good') Chipperies the most adequate places we have managed to find in all this time of searching the Coast are The Magpie at Whitby and North Bay Fisheries at Scarborough.
The Magpie, however, does seem to live on its reputation and charges excessively for small portions. 

For some reason the restaurant has aquired a cult following (the darling of TV travel shows) and people are, unbelievably, prepared to queue outside in all weathers whilst waiting for a table. The photo, for example, was taken from across the road in a designated 'waiting area', such is the need to keep the road clear from those desperate to eat there. 

It seems to be a case of the Emperor's New Clothes as far as self perpetuating praise goes. But, hey ho, I suppose, given the standard of stuff available elsewhere in the county, you can understand the clamour to be ripped off in return for something edible. 

North Bay Fisheries, across the road from Peasholm Park in Scarborough, is more realistically priced and actually provides a decent amount of chips with a fish worthy of the name (Magpie should take note). 

Both these oulets avoid floating your food in a sea of grease which seems to be the norm everywhere else. 

In reality, however, the best and nearest Chip 'ole to the Yorkshire Coast is Vic's Fountain Chippy in Blackburn. (Go for "John Bull & chips")