West Hallam is a rather pretty village to the north east of Derby. The West Hallam Fryer is part of a small, modern group of shops just off a street quaintly named ‘The Village’. Most of the housing adjacent to this is quite old, so one gets a sense of what West Hallam must have been like many years before the chip shop was a twinkle in a sprat’s eye.*
The Fryer’s menu is impressive. They cater especially well for vegetarians. Items on the menu include a kale and quinoa burger, Quorn sausages and a halloumi kebab.
I went for the mini fish special with mushy peas. (Alternatives are curry sauce and beans). All fish is cooked to order. Impressive. I was asked if I wanted my peas poured over the chips or in a pot. Impressive. (We’ve had a few meals recently that have been spoilt by being covered in less than perfect mushy peas. We prefer them in a pot).
Customers can also request scraps if they wish. I must say they looked tempting, but decided not to have any this time.
The service was friendly and efficient. The food looked smashing as it was dished up, boxed and bagged. However, the server put the salt and vinegar on herself - and not quite enough of it to give the meal the lift it needed. (We prefer a DIY job when it comes to the splash and shake).
I wandered over to a bench near the village war memorial to sit and eat.
The batter on the fish was crisp and light. Just how I like it. The chips were chunky. Crisp on the outside and fluffy within. The peas were a reassuring natural colour.
When I broke open the fish the colour revealed that it was slightly undercooked. Another half a minute might have done the trick. I didn’t eat all of it.
What a pity. Just 30 seconds and some extra salt and vinegar would’ve nudged this lunch an extra mile.
Ratings out of 5:
Fish: 2
Chips: 3
Mushy peas: 3
Shop / service: 4
Over all: 3
*West Hallam Fryer was established in 1991.
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