Marlin Fish Bar, Oakthorpe, Leicestershire

 

‘Fresh and tasty’ read the legend on the box… and fresh and tasty it was.

Oakthorpe is a small village near to Measham in North West Leicestershire. We had heard excellent comments about the quality of the food in this small fish and chip shop so had to check it for ourselves. 

We were so pleased it lived up to our expectations. Upon entry we ordered two mini fish specials and waited a short while for the fish to be fried to order. Apparently the shop sometimes serves a few free chips for customers while they wait. This didn’t happen on our visit, but this probably helped to increase our appetite for the fresh food even more.

When the meals were ready they were boxed, and the sauces were put into separate pots rather than poured over the chips. We were also presented with napkins.

The food was extremely fresh and piping hot. The cod was pure white and had delicate flakes. The batter was very thin and crisp.

The curry sauce wasn’t the best type but it had been mixed very thick and clung nicely to the chips when dipped.

The peas were of very good quality, having a starchy yet creamy taste. 

The chips. Now then. We will be dreaming about these chips for many years to come. They were definitely the best chips we have eaten this year and set a high benchmark for all subsequent chip shop visits. They were long, chunky, straight-edged, firm outside but light inside. Just fantastic.

The meal for two cost under a tenner. If you pay a visit yourselves remember to take cash.

Ratings out of 5:

Fish (mini cod): 5

Chips: 5

Mushy peas: 5

Curry sauce: 4

Shop / service: 5

Over all: 5