Fish and chips. I remember when I was a kid, me and my family used to head to our local chippy on the estate in Battersea once a week. There was no better feeling than knowing you were going to get home with your freshly battered cod, fresh cut chips and put something on the telly. I feel like most of us have a similar story we can relate to. It might not be fish and chips for everyone, it could be an Indian or a Chinese, but most of us have those memories.
Now where did this British tradition begin? Did we actually invent it or merely take ownership of it as a nation. The origins of one of the UK’s favourite foods are vague. Some think that the Portuguese Jewish community first deep fried fish in the 15th century. As the Spanish Inquisition outlawed Judaism, many of them fled to the UK bringing along their culinary traditions with them. The modern day fish and chips that we all know and love seems to have started around 200 years ago in the East End of London, with deep working class roots, and the rest as they say is history. At the height of it’s glory days, there were over 35,000 fish and chip shops in the UK.
That’s now down to around 10,000 but to this day over 360 million of the meals are still served each year. It’s funny to think that in 2024, fish and chips has maintained those roots from over a century ago while at the same time being so widely available. Whether it’s the fact that most pubs have battered fish on the menu or chefs like Heston Blumenthal attempt to perfect “the chip”, the impact of this dish is huge. Despite so many different versions and places to get it from, nowhere quite seems to taste as good as what you get from your local fish and chip shop.
Why are we so drawn to it? Why do we all have a debate on whether we want with vinegar or without? Onion or malt? Mushy peas or curry sauce? Those debates, those conversations we enjoy having, surely play a part in our love for fish and chips. We should never underestimate the power of food and its ability to connect people, sometimes entire communities. That’s why I prefer walking to my local as opposed to just ordering off a delivery app.
There is nothing I enjoy more than walking down to my local, picking up a bag of chips and wandering around eating them
Sirin and her husband Ozbek opened the Pimlico Fish Bar in 1992 and it’s still going strong. Ozbek hails from a small village in Cyprus and he came to London barely speaking any English. When they met he had been working at Sea Fresh on Wilton Road and then got the opportunity to partner up with his friend and open the place in Pimlico. Not long after the couple bought Ozbek’s business partner out and the Pimlico Fish Bar that I know and love has been operating ever since.
The shop is like a microcosm of everything Pimlico is about. A community hub where people from all walks of life congregate. Sirin and Ozbek have seen the local children grow up, go to university, with some eventually coming back with a whole new generation of their own. They’ve served everyone from footballers to locals… to me and Claire Sweeney with regulars coming all the way from Chelsea and Fulham to get their fix.
While a lot of chippies are diversifying their menus adding pizzas and kebabs to the menu, my local is keeping with tradition in just the right way. Not compromising, doing one thing and doing it right. That’s why despite COVID and the cost of living crisis, they’re proving resilient.
Beyond all of the above, the experience in itself, that of feeling more connected to your community is worth its weight in gold. It’s not always about Michelin starred meals. Posh grub is great, don't get me wrong, but there is simply nothing I enjoy more than walking down to my local, picking up a bag of chips and wandering around eating them. I never have any left by the time I get back and that’s just fine. In that time I’ve had the opportunity to walk my dog, chat to the local mums and take in London. See you next Wednesday.
Track of the week: Jamiroquai — Canned Heat (Dimitri From Paris Remix Edit)
