Our Best Chip Shops of 2021

 

It's that time of year again. Time to gather ourselves and reflect on our favourite fish and chip shops of the year. Most of our enjoyable experiences were centred around the Midlands during 2021 - Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Derbyshire. Our beloved Sheffield scored well too. We always come across great chippies in Sheffield. 

Let's start in Derbyshire...

Visitors to Cromford are spoilt for chip shops! (Robinson's featured in a previous 'best of' list). The cod, chips and peas we had at Wellington’s Chip Shop and Café were fantastic. Juicy cod encased in a very airy batter. The tasty, hand cut chips had a good accompaniment in the creamy mushy peas. 

Wellington's

The generously proportioned ‘mini’ haddock we had at Gipsy Lane Chippery did not disappoint us after we had been foretold that this was the best chippy in Leicester. The floury chips were crispy on the outside without a hint of grease. 

Gipsy Lane Chippery

Mind you, Oh My Cod in Hamilton, Leicester, fared very well too. The chips were piping hot and had firm, straight edges. Staff had seasoned them perfectly. The fact that the shop was busy on a Tuesday evening proved how popular this shop is. 

Oh My Cod

Another of our top chippies in Leicestershire this year was Little Hill Fish Bar in Wigston. Our haddock was cooked to order and was so satisfying we didn’t mind that there were no benches to sit on in the green. 

Little Hill

 

Bengali Bob’s is a recent addition to the chip shops of Leicester, having opened in 2020. The fish we had was fried to order and the owner told us we were going to enjoy it. He was correct!  

Bengali Bob's

We celebrated John Dory's birthday in June with a fantastic car picnic. John Dory's in Quorn, Leicestershire, would make any year's 'best of' list.

John Dory's

Hicks Street Fish and Chip Shop in Sheffield might be unknown to anyone who doesn’t work in Kelham Island during the day. It is definitely one of Sheffield’s best-kept secrets. The mini cod, chips and curry sauce we tried here were mouth-wateringly faultless. One of our readers commented that they are the ‘best in Sheffield 100%’. The shopfront has had a refurbishment since we visited and is looking very colourful with its artwork by Kieran Flynn.

Hicks Street Fish and Chip Shop

Also on Sheffield’s recommended list is Ranmoor Friery. A 25-minute bus ride from the centre took us to this chip shop that seemed to be staffed by one person doing an excellent job. Cod in a thin, crisp batter and chunky chips hit the spot. Everything tasted clean and fresh. 

Ranmoor Friery

Strong competition came from Manor Top however. The undyed peas were delicious as was the crunchy batter on the mini fish. We may have to return by tram to try one of the Yorkshire fish cakes. 

Manor Top

The In Plaice is an unpretentious chippy in Clifton, Nottingham. This too has a tram stop nearby. We had some lovely hot, chunky chips here and a pure white piece of cod for under £4. 

The In Plaice

 

Kettering Cod served the best mushy peas we had this year. They held their shape like soft, mini marbles in a moist sauce. The chips were light and fresh, and the cod was of good quality with a knobbly batter. 

Kettering Cod

Atlantis Fish Bar in Kettering was also very satisfying. We had a humungous fillet of cod here, so opted for a ‘cone sized’ portion of chips to go with it.  

Atlantis Fish Bar

 

The Chip Shed in Warwick has been on our wish list for a long time. We finally managed to eat here in the summer. A pot of zingy homemade tartare sauce came with the lovely haddock, chips and peas.  

The Chip Shed

Our favourite seaside chip shop this year was Salty’s at Mablethorpe where we had a smashing piece of haddock. 

Salty's

 

 

We had difficulty making our order heard over loud music at Anker Fish Bar, Tamworth, Warwickshire, but came away with some lovely grub. The batter was light enough to see the fish through, which is always the sign of a master fryer. The chips cut from new potatoes were also top notch. 

Anker Fish Bar

 

The food at Marlin Fish Bar, Oakthorpe was extremely fresh and piping hot. The mushy peas had a starchy but creamy taste, and the fluffy chips were the most memorable we had this year. 

Memorable chips from Marlin Fish Bar

A bike ride to Gilmorton took us to our favourite experience eating from a chip van in 2021. Collin’s Superfry were frying in small batches to ensure the food was at its best. The flakes of haddock fell away from the skin with ease. The chips were chunky and long. 

Colin's Superfry

Our out and out favourite of the year was Upton Fish and Chip Shop in remotest Lincolnshire. It took a while to get there by public transport but was worth the effort. What fun it was to queue and smell the coal-fired range. We tried cod, haddock, peas and spicy curry with our chips here. The food was enhanced by a sprinkling of scraps!!  

Just thinking about this meal makes us eager to get to some more chip shops next year. We have some trips to the West Midlands and Yorkshire in our diary.

See you in 2022!!