One of the Chip Fiend's visited Steve's Fish Bar in Alvaston, on the outskirts of Derby. Strange how so many fish and chip shops are called Steve's. Not quite as many as Andy's though...
Steve's has a cafe, but this was closed due to social distancing measures when we visited. Instead, the shop had devised an efficient system whereby the customer orders their food at a counter constructed in the front door of the takeaway section. All interactions are done with the customer on the pavement outside and the shop assistant behind a perspex screen.
Lines are painted on the path to distance those in the queue two metres apart from each other.
This Chip Fiend ordered a regular haddock and chips and a small pot of peas. I was asked if I wanted salt and vinegar, and whether I wanted to pay by card or cash. I used my card and then walked over to the doorway of the cafeteria. This has been turned into another counter. A perspex screen has a small hole to pass your bag of food through.
I didn't have to wait long.
I took my bag to a wall nearby and sat to eat my lunch. The chippy looked to be popular with workmen. Some had ordered pies and stood at another wall nearby to eat. They had blue plastic forks. I couldn't find one in my bag, but I had brought my own cutlery from home anyway.
The food was very good. Piping hot and fresh. A paper parcel had been wrapped around the tray to keep the heat in. The fish had been served skin-side up which was a bit unappetising to look at, but the fresh juicy flakes of haddock underneath were lovely. The chips were chunky and fluffy on the inside, but there were a few shards mixed in. The peas were excellent. Homemade and not too vivid a colour. They were good and runny and didn't dry out as I ate them.
Ratings out of 5:
Fish (Haddock): 4
Chips: 3
Mushy peas: 4
Shop / service: 4
Over all: 4
Comments
Post a Comment