For a landlocked county, Nottinghamshire is an area that punches above its weight in terms of its fish and chip offering. Just last month, it was announced that one West Bridgford outlet had been named as one of the UK's top ten chippies.
Wherever you are in Nottinghamshire, it's unlikely that you'll ever be far from a town or village that it bursting with local fish and chip shops. Many of these shops are an integral part of their communities and one of the key elements in providing that sense of community is an owner or group of owners who customers know and love.
Perhaps that's why people in Kirkby-in-Ashfield were so excited by the news that the owner of one of the town's best-loved chippies was making a comeback.
READ MORE: Booted out trader opens new Jamaican restaurant - and he's back with a bang
After a two-year hiatus, George Georgiou announced late last month that he was returning to the Ocean Blue fish and chip shop. Mr Georgiou said he was "buzzing" about his return and that he would be bringing back "the original Ocean Blue recipe."
Amid the online excitement at the news of George's return, I made the trip to Ocean Blue as the former owner returned to the fryers. Kebabs, burgers and even a Greek menu with items including halloumi fritters are available from Ocean Blue, as well as the traditional fare.
But for a true sense of why Ocean Blue was so well-loved, I stuck to the basics by ordering a medium haddock alongside a regular portion of chips at a cost of £9. I waited for the fish to be cooked fresh and whilst doing so, it was striking how many people ventured out to Ocean Blue just after 12pm on a very wet and grey Monday.
It's hard to say whether the lunchtime rush was a direct result of Mr Georgiou's return, but it was certainly busier for a Monday afternoon than I was expecting. But such popularity became less surprising when I tucked into my order.
Every flake of the haddock seemed to taste fresher than the last, with the classic batter mix around the fish having the crispy texture that you expect, but don't always receive from some chip shops. A greasy and wet batter around a fish has the ability to ruin the whole meal, but Ocean Blue's haddock was done to perfection and the chips were the perfect complement.
Curry sauce or mushy peas and tartare sauce would usually be lathered on my fish and chips but for review purposes, I didn't want to drown out the true taste of the core components. With fish this fresh, I was glad I had made this choice and the lashings of salt and vinegar provided at Ocean Blue was more than enough flavour.
As usual, I had perhaps ordered too many chips but as someone who never likes to waste food, I kept my leftover chips and used them later in a chip sandwich, or cob, bap, or butty - but let's not get into that debate. Let's focus instead on some certainty - George is back at Ocean Blue and based on my visit, it's clear to see that this is a most welcome return.
READ NEXT:
- Drake's dad Dennis Graham spotted wearing Nottingham designer's T-shirt
- Woman appears in court accused of causing death of student Hope Starsmore
- Appeal after man seriously injured in attack outside Nottinghamshire pub
- Peter Kay at Nottingham Motorpoint Arena - prices, dates and how to get tickets
- Police name man charged over reports of house burglary
