Fish and Chips, a potted history

FISH AND CHIPS

Fish fried in batter originally became popular in the East End of London where many Jewish people settled during the early 19th century.

Chips go back to the late 18th century. Baked potatoes had been all the rage, but the craze for chips spread, particularly in Scotland and the mill towns of Lancashire.

Eventually, the wave of chip shops from the North met the wave of fried fish shops spreading up from the South, and, in 1860, a Jewish immigrant called Joseph Malin opened a shop in London selling fried fish ‘in the Jewish fashion’ alongside fried chipped potatoes for the first time.

By 1925, there were 30,000 fish and chip shops in Britain. Indeed, during World War II, fish and chips were judged so important to national morale, that they were one of the few foods to avoid rationing.

Today there are 9,000 fish and chip shops in Britain.