Fish and chips is ‘the healthiest of takeaways’

Good news - your fish supper is healthier than a curry. Picture: AFP

The traditional British dish contains 146 fewer calories than the average takeaway curry, while a standard portion of thin crust pepperoni pizza contains four grams more fat than a regular serving of fish and chips, according to figures from the Potato Council.

As the Evening News launches its Chip Shop of the Year awards during National Chip Week, foodies have been quick to heap praise on the much-loved dish which has been a British institution since Victorian times.

Malcolm Duck, chairman of the Edinburgh Restaurant Association, said: “I think everyone loves fish and chips. It is British food and it is comfort food.

“Like everything in life balance and proportion is important. If you spend your life eating chips for every meal then that isn’t good, but everything in moderation is fine. Potatoes are good for you and an important staple of any diet.”

The recent trend for gourmet fast food is a welcome addition, he said, which has seen a range of posh chip shops popping up across the UK.

Family-run business L’Alba D’Oro, in Henderson Row, was recently named as the best fish and chip shop in the UK by The Times newspaper.

Mr Duck, who runs Ducks at Kilspindie House, in Aberlady, said: “Fashion’s always going round and people were doing fancy fish and chips 20 years ago. It is great what you can do with the idea.

“You are only limited by your imagination.”

Fresh produce is key to creating the perfect chip supper, said John Wild, one of the directors of the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF).

Mr Wild said: “The great thing about fish and chips is it is really simple.

“There are no additives and no nasties in there so what you see is what you get. As long as everything is cooked properly and you have the best provenance then it is much healthier than your average korma.”

He praised Scottish fish and said there was a great selection of suppliers for chippies in the Lothians to take advantage  of.

Mr Wild, who runs the award-winning Tarnbrook Chippy in Morecambe,  Lancashire, added: “It has been one of the top dishes since it started and there are lots of restaurants out there offering a fantastic experience alongside the food.”