Chip History
Potatoes – the essential chip ingredient
Ancestors of the Incas first ate potatoes 6000 years ago. It was more than 5000 years later when they crossed the Atlantic into Europe, taking 200 years to get firmly established. Potatoes became fashionable in the eighteenth century when Marie Antoinette paraded through the French countryside wearing potato blossoms in her hair.
The First Chip!
Chips are a French invention that has become an English tradition. In the eighteenth century the first ‘pomme frites’ (fried potatoes/chips) were served. 1854 is thought to be the first mention in Britain, when a leading chef included ‘thin cut potatoes cooked in oil’ in his recipe book, Shilling Cookery.
Fish and Bread?
Fried fish warehouses, the forerunner to the fish and chip shop, were popular in Charles Dickens’ time and even featured in his novel Oliver Twist (first published in the late 1830's). At the time fish was often accompanied by bread, up to a quarter of a pound of it (200g). In the 1860's, we British discovered we could team up chips with fried fish – creating a tasty, satisfying and affordable meal. A classic combination had been born.
The First Fish & Chip Shop
There are rival claims to being the first fish and chip shop. The northern claim is in Mossley, near Oldham, Lancashire. In 1863 a Mr Lees sold fish and chips from a wooden hut in the market and later transferred the business to a permanent shop across the road which advertised itself as the first fish and chip shop. The southern claim is for Joseph Malin who is reputed to have opened a fish and chip shop in Cleveland Street, London in 1860.
An Easier Option
In more recent times, the swinging sixties brought a yearning for a freer, more leisurely lifestyle, less tied to the ideas of the past: the introduction of the new frozen chip helped fulfil this desire. With no washing, peeling or slicing, plus the convenience of a fresh supply of chips always to hand in the freezer, the great taste and consistent results were almost an added bonus.
Healthier and Quicker
The health conscious eighties brought about a further development, the introduction of a chip with a lower fat content, which could be cooked in the oven. Then, towards the end of the eighties, microwave chips emerged to satisfy the desire for an almost-instant convenience food.
Chips, a National Treasure
Chips are one of our national treasures; many consider them to be one of our national dishes. There are now more than 11,000 fish and chip shops across Britain, with the classic combination continuing to be the nation’s favourite takeaway.
