Haddock or cod? Whatever fish you choose, it batter be blue

For more than 150 years (East London and Lancashire still both lay rival claims to be their birthplace in the mid-19^th century), we Brits have enjoyed battered fish and chunky chips on an industrial scale.  

Peak fish and chips in 1930 saw 30,000 shops take pride in feeding the nation. While there are now closer to 10,000 chippies, we’re still spending more than £1.2 billion on 167m portions a year. 

Up until the 1980s this most British speciality was served wrapped in yesterday’s newspaper. Now it’s rumoured its status as a national institution will be marked with a place on our bank notes. It’s so deeply woven into our heritage and tradition that Winston Churchill famously kept it off the ration books to maintain morale during World War II.

Not only are fish and chips tied up with the nation’s social history, but our own personal histories too. Many only have to walk past a fish and chip shop to be transported back to their youth. Like Daniel Gray author of Food of the Cods, How Fish and Chips Made Britain.

“Some my earliest memories are of winter nights and the only light was a yellow glow emanating from the fish and chip shop and the aromas were so seductive. As little lads, me and my mates would go and ask for the scraps just before it closed and we’d sit on the wall and eat them. From a very early age I was seduced by the look and the smell, and I still find it hard to pass by a chippy now without going in.

“I love seeing kids with their parents, grandparents and sometimes great grandparents sitting down for fish and chips – it’s THE unifying dish.”

Two of the UK’s celebrated fish and chip shops are divided by almost 700 miles and their fish of choice. Owners Pete Fraser, of Harbour Lights in Falmouth, and Calum Richardson of The Bay Fish & Chips in Stonehaven, just north of Aberdeen, are though united by their unswerving commitment to sourcing and serving sustainable fish. Both came to fish and chips after careers at sea, Calum in the Merchant Nay, Pete flying helicopters for the Royal Navy. The future of fish and chips appears safe in their hands as both carry the reassuring MSC Chain of Custody – guaranteeing that whether you choose cod or haddock, it can be traced back to sustainable sources.

As is common across the south of England, the vast majority of Pete’s customers opt for cod, although his personal favourite is MSC certified Cornish hake, landed pretty much on his doorstep. While still a less popular cousin to customer favourites cod and haddock, sales of hake have surged in recent years.

MSC Ambassador and founder of Rockfish restaurants, Mitch Tonks, says: “Hake’s juicy, thick white flakes seem to work on all menus from Michelin-starred eateries to a chippy and I think having MSC [certified] status has really helped its growth in popularity.”

In Aberdeenshire, haddock brought ashore just 50 miles up the road in Peterhead is the only fish on The Bay’s menu. Calum believes wholeheartedly in sharing that provenance with his customers, fixing a blue MSC ecolabel on each box of fish and chips as they’re filled to the brim, and features the name of the individual boat that caught the haddock on the menu. For good measure he also shares the name of the farm where that day’s chipping potatoes were grown.

Calum believes it’s worked as an effective marketing as well as educational tool: “Folks get excited by it, especially the non-regulars. It’s always a talking point when we put the sticker on the box and communicating that story within hospitality and engaging the customer is halfway to them enjoying the product. It also makes them know that we care.”

For Pete, as well as helping him reach out to a younger, environmentally engaged audience, especially Falmouth’s university students, he’s convinced it’s boosted business in another significant way: “Apart from sending a really good message to my customers and helping me sleep at night, being MSC certified has helped attract the best staff too as it helps them know their employer gives a damn.”

It’s stalwarts of sustainability like Pete and Calum that are helping ensure generations to come will be able to enjoy this most British of dishes. By buying fish and chips with the blue MSC ecolabel you’re protecting fish dinners for many years to come.

It’s not just the health of the oceans and future dinners that consumers can protect by choosing the right fish supper. Nichola Ludlam-Raine, dietician and author of How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed, heralds fish and chips as a cut above most takeaway foods in the human health stakes too.

Nichola adds: “White fish is a lean source of protein that contains iodine and so long as it’s not too heavily battered and your portion chips isn’t too big then, with mushy peas on the side, it’s a balanced and nutritious meal. As well as the physical health benefits, we shouldn’t ignore the psychological ones too. Enjoying a meal with friends and family that brings back fond memories is great for our wellbeing. Even better if you can eat it outside in the fresh air, perhaps by the seaside.”

For those with at least half an eye on healthier eating, Nichola also shares some hacks for home-cooked fish and chips. 

“I’d suggest breadcrumbing your fish and baking it in the oven along with some sweet potato wedges and serving them with peas or salad on the side.” 

Whether your preferred accompaniment is peas, gravy, curry, tartare or tomato sauce – to name just a few – one thing is certain; fish and chips are deeply woven into the fabric and psyche of the nation and, as the star of the show the fish, be it cod, haddock or hake, is guaranteed a long and lasting future if we continue to buy blue.

Author Daniel Gray, whose great-grandparents met in a Yorkshire chippy, shares that optimism and is thankful that he and his family will continue to enjoy many more portions in the years ahead.

“And it’s as much about the future as the past. There’s a real connection between sustainability and nostalgia. My own 15-year-old daughter is so aware of it and chip shop owners are proud to have posters up telling you about how well they’re sourcing.

“If I could only have one more meal it would be on a harbour wall ripping the fish apart in my hands – nothing tastes better because it’s an emotional food that’s attached to memory and I love it tenderly.”

Look for the blue MSC ecolabel in your local chippy or try your hand at making your own fish and chips with this recipe.