What Year Did Fish and Chips Get It Together?

So when did fish and chips first go together? When did one of the classic combinations first get used. There may well be fish and chip insurance policies for all those friers out there, but just when did it all start?

Fish and chip insurance policies to one side, the first year that the great food combination came together was 1860. That’s 150 years ago – amazing!

And what’s even better, is that today it is still officially one of the nation’s favourite food.

But way back in 1860 – with little thought of fish and chip shop insurance policies back then – few would have the foresight to see a classic English dish emerging?

Curry might be vying for the absolute favourite spot, but fish and chip shop outlets are still up there in the lead.

And since its origins, the humble fish and chip shop has seen generations of people through the industrial revolution, two world wars and one world cup football victory; and still they are growing strong.

In case you’re wondering who came up with the bright idea, it was a plucky 13-year-old from the streets of London who first sold a portion of fried potatoes with battered fish. Although it’s doubtful he had adequate fish and chip shop insurance cover.

It’s reckoned that today there are over 10,000 fish and chip shops in almost every corner of the country. These shops employ over 60,000 people and sell almost 300 million portions every year. What’s more, one third of all potatoes consumed in the UK are turned into chips (that’s chip shops and home-made). Furthermore, it’s been estimated that on a Friday evening, some 20% of all takeaways (curries and kebabs, pizzas included), are portions of fish and chips.

One slightly patriotic fact is that the chip was not actually invented by a Brit. Indeed, it was the European cousins – the French – who first served pommes frites in the 18th Century. Some wag has commented that Marie Antoinette didn’t say let them eat cake; what she did in fact say was, let them eat chips (but if you want fish, go to London)!

Although Brits can rightly claim to have discovered the potato in the first place; it was Sir Walter Raleigh, a Knight of the fair kingdom of England, that first brought back the potato from the New World.

But back to the resourceful French, who invented the chip when fish was scarce and fried potatoes were used instead, and cut into small fish shapes.

Whoever has the best bragging rights doesn’t really matter though, as the combination of potatoes and fried fish has brought about many good things, including fish and chip insurance.