It was a very busy day when we visited Cleethorpes and all the chip shops were doing a roaring trade.
Chip Fiends are spoiled for choice in this small seaside town at the mouth of the Humber Estuary. The fishing port of Grimsby literally adjoins Cleethorpes so all the fish is as fresh as it can get in the UK.
We plumped for Ernie Beckett's chip shop, recommend to us by one of our readers. We arrived just before noon and luckily there was a free table for us to eat inside.
One Fiend had regular haddock, chips and mushy peas. The other Fiend had plaice, chips and curry sauce. We also had a pot of tea.
We waited patiently for the food as the attentive staff brought the tea and set our table. When the meal arrived we were astonished by the generous portions! The regular haddock was very big, so goodness knows what the 'Jumbo' would be like. The plaice was equally large.
Batter fans would like it here. The batter was thick, but it was crisp and knobbly which gave it a lovely texture. The fish inside was as fresh and pure white as we had hoped it would be. Perfectly cooked. The haddock Fiend thought the fish could have been drained for a bit longer to let some more of the oil out.
The chips were cut medium and a rather pale colour, but fresh tasting and delicious.
The mushy peas were perfect. A thick sauce with nuggets of whole peas in it. The curry sauce was our favourite type. Chinese style, peppery and thick enough to stand a spoon in.
Our lunch only came to £20. When we left, a queue had formed outside. The similar sight of long queues met our eyes around the town, so we realised we had chosen the correct time to eat or we may have gone hungry!
*****
Cod is not on the menu but Beckett's also serve cod roe, scampi, fish cakes, smoked fish cakes and salmon fish cakes.
Ratings out of 5:
Haddock 4
Plaice 5
Chips 4
Mushy peas 5
Curry sauce 5
Shop / service 5 - good atmosphere and waitress service.
Over all 5
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