The Earl of Rone Has Had His Chips: The Chippies of Combe Martin

 

Combe Martin has a very long high street. Very long. To walk from the beach to the top of the village will take you half an hour. It’s just as well then that there is a chip shop at either end: The Black and White (nearest to the beach) and the Top Chippy (as it’s name suggests - at the top of the village).

The Black and White gets long queues but the staff there work efficiently to get everyone served quickly and you can pay by card. I had a small fish, chips and peas for £11.70. The mushies weren’t kept in a bain-marie. Instead they had been potted and kept in a fridge, ready for a blast in a microwave. 

I found a bench overlooking the beach to tuck in. The chips were on the crispy side but with a good fluff inside. 

The small cod was very good. Fresh, moist and tasty. The golden batter was a tad sticky inside but good and crisp outside. 

At first, I had suspected the peas to be tinned due to the strange ‘cooking’ method and their grainy appearance. However they didn’t taste rank. The downside was that they gave me terrible wind later on! I should’ve gone for curry sauce.

Whilst eating I was entertained by a motley parade of drummers with red-coated grenadiers and a Hobby-Horse. They were on the hunt for a fugitive Earl hiding on the outskirts of the village…

Top Chippy

A couple of days later I noticed a group of musicians and one of the grenadiers waiting for chips from the Top Chippy. What a good idea. 

I was hungry so I went in and ordered regular cod and small chips with curry sauce. The shop was busy but working fast to get everyone’s orders sorted. I asked for my curry to be dolloped at one end of the tray. This shop is 'cash only' and I paid £10.40. I sat and waited to be called as all food is fried to order.

The village green across the road was perfect for a picnic so I sat on the grass to eat my chippy tea.

Similar to the Black and White, the Top Chippy produce crispy chips. They were light golden and delicious. The curry sauce was peppery and piquant. The batter on the fish was excellent. Light, crisp and bubbly. The fish inside had firm but moist flakes, and was pure white and fresh. 

The grenadiers put their ribboned cone-shaped helmets on and were accompanied by musicians to the top of the village. Wanting to walk off my meal I followed closely behind. 

The Earl was located in the woods and escorted to a donkey upon which he was forced to ride facing its behind. Hopefully the four-legged beast hadn’t had any peas from the Black and White.

After being paraded in this humiliating fashion and shot by firing squad appropriately 20 times the ragged body of the Earl was flung into the sea. He had well and truly had his chips!

I retired to bed with the sound of drumming thudding in my head. 

Ratings out of 5:

The Black and White

Fish (cod): 4

Chips: 5

Mushy peas: 3

Shop / service: 4

Overall: 4

The Top Chippy

Fish (cod): 5

Chips: 5

Curry sauce: 4

Shop / service: 5

Overall: 5