The potato is thought to have been brought to England from the New World in the 17th century by Sir Walter Raleigh although it is believed that the French invented the fried potato chip.
Both Lancashire and London stake a claim to being the first to invent this famous meal - chips were a cheap, staple food of the industrial north whilst fried fish was introduced in London’s East End. In 1839 Charles Dickens referred to a “fried fish warehouse” in his novel, 'Oliver Twist'.
The populace soon decided that putting fried fish and chips together was a very tasty combination and so was born our national dish of fish and chips!
A combination of Britain’s new railways and trawler fishing meant that fish could be reliably supplied inland, which coincided with chip shops spreading rapidly. It provided an exciting meal for the family that otherwise had to make do with the bleak fare of the Industrial Revolution.
Starting with just one chip shop in 1860, by 1910 there were roughly 25,000, and by 1927 there were 35,000, which shows just how popular the meal had become.
Fish and chips also had a role to play in both world wars. Due to their popularity, the government kept them off the ration list to increase morale and ensure basic nutrition for the munitions workers. Queues were often hours long once word got around that the chip shop had fresh fish! Winston Churchill even referred to them as the “good companions”.
So, there you have it; fish and chips, a national institution that’s considered by many outside it to be quintessentially British, owes its introduction to 15th century refugees, has provided nutrition and a morale boost during the Industrial Revolution and two world wars, and tastes great to boot!
A combination of Britain’s new railways and trawler fishing meant that fish could be reliably supplied inland, which coincided with chip shops spreading rapidly. It provided an exciting meal for the family that otherwise had to make do with the bleak fare of the Industrial Revolution.
Starting with just one chip shop in 1860, by 1910 there were roughly 25,000, and by 1927 there were 35,000, which shows just how popular the meal had become.
So, there you have it; fish and chips, a national institution that’s considered by many outside it to be quintessentially British, owes its introduction to 15th century refugees, has provided nutrition and a morale boost during the Industrial Revolution and two world wars, and tastes great to boot!
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