Do you eat fish and chips with a knife and fork? (From This is The West Country)

Do you eat fish and chips with a knife and fork?

10:00pm Sunday 4th October 2009

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DINERS in South West are taking fish and chips upmarket preferring to eat theirs with a knife and fork according to a new survey commissioned by the Friers Quality Awards, which recognises shops selling first-class fish and chips.

In a major consumer survey of buying habits at fish and chip shops, over half (58%) of fish and chip fans in the South West said they’d rather tuck into a delicious chippy with cutlery rather than eat it with their fingers from the bag.

The survey also found that 85% of customers in the region would be willing to try sustainable species such as coley or pollack in their fish suppers.

In a nation-wide survey, more than 3,200 people were asked about their preferred way to eat the country’s favourite take-away. Londoners were most likely to be too posh to pick from the bag with 72% stating they would rather eat their fish and chips from a plate. However, Scots reversed the national trend, with 60% opting to get stuck in with their fingers and eat their fish suppers straight from the bag.

The Friers Quality Awards are run by Seafish, the authority on seafood and awards shops with three, four or five stars as a mark of quality, recognising shops that serve first-class fish and chips.

For the last two years, previous winners of the national Fish & Chip Shop of the Year Competition have all been five star FQA holders.

Other findings from the survey showed.

· Customers in Wales and Northern Ireland were the most likely to ask for bread and butter along with their fish and chips.

· Cosmopolitan fish and chip lovers in the North West of England were the biggest fans of curry sauce with their chippy.

· Overwhelmingly, the nation’s favourite accompaniment to fish and chips is salt and vinegar (51%) followed by tomato ketchup (15%) and mushy peas (8%). · On the flip side, consumers’ least favourite side portions were gherkins, gravy and pickled onions, which each polled just 1% of the vote.

Robert Smith, owner of the five-star FQA rated Anstruther Fish Bar and current national winner of the Seafish Fish & Chip Shop of the Year Competition, said: “The way people enjoy fish and chips is always a source of great debate in the shop.

"With visitors from all over the UK and overseas we see many different trends. My personal favourite is out the wrapping on the beach front. You can’t beat it.”

Jim Hyam, training manager at Seafish, said: “Eating fish and chips is a wonderful dining experience. Standards in the industry continue to improve and the Friers Quality Award star rating system shows consumers they are receiving the highest quality product and customer service."

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