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Fish&Chip shop scratchings

C

cearnegiant

master brummie
In very early 1960s lived in Tile Cross road,We kids would go to local chip shop called "Bedfords" They would sell us kids bag of scratchings for a penny.It was the bits of fried batter from the fish,If lucky would get bits of the cod mixed in.It was Heaven
 
cearnegiant, the scratchings are the best part of a fish and chip meal :) One of my local chippys will give me a bag if they have enough and I ask nicely ! I don't ask often though...way to many calories !!
 
Mrs Jacksons Cliffton Road ASTON in the 50s loads for free & if you were lucky you my even get a small bit of battered fish in them, O that does jog the old grey cells :0)
 
What I miss now is that Chip shops down here dont sell roe and chips.Can get the tinned roe but nothing like fresh cod roe and chips.
 
hi cearnegiant
thats a shameyou cannot get the fresh roe still tin roe aint that bad i some times have it myself
it all depends how many coppers i have in my pocket at he time to whether i get fresh or tin i like
but bear in mind the poor owner whom as to p[ay high cost to bring it into the shopit cost a leg and a arm now
and if they aint got enough customers to buy it they would be out of pocket
like the fish [ cod ] it highly expensive and it comes in carboard boxes i do not weight they bring it in now
but years ago it was in wooden boxes and the whole salers sold it by the stone whom supplied chippies
my grand parents at the aston cross used to pay i shilling and six pence for a stone in the wooden bo then it went to four shilling and six pence now cod is getting scaresed christ only knows what it cost i pay four pounds and ten pence for a peice of cod in redditch
which i get every wednesday night with out fail along with my chips which is another two pounds
so i dare not asked for the scratching as i also can recall the scratching was free if you asked for them but as the years went on
i am to beleive it had to stop being given away under the shop health and hygiene rules which is tommy rott
best wishes astonian
 
I moan that cannot get Cod roe but suppose with the problem of reducing cod stocks. its understandable. Went to visit my Daughter in Lincoln and there Chip shop will only give Haddock,if wanted Cod was specially cooked.Farmers talking about problems with this years potatoe crops. so expect price of chips to increase by end of year. Its no more expensive to get chinese takeaway,but still enjoy good old Cod and chips.
 
Love the scratchings too, but more than a penny when I used to get them, but our local chippy thinks it's hilarious when I ask for the scratchings with my chips. They didn't at Blists Hill though last week, quite happily added a pile of them to our fish n chips and the batter was lovely, really crisp and tasty!!
For anyone living out on the Burton on Trent side of town, a ride to the Happy Chef is a must, its just outside Burton on the A444 - the Measham side and they do a Thursday meal deal with fish chips and peas or cuury sauce or beans, bread and butter and a cup of tea or cold drink for 6.95, the fish is lovely and you can have cod or haddock and I think plaice is 50p more. They had fresh roe as well last time we went, lovely too!
Sue
 
Sounds nice Sue,,,My Aunt had two Fish chip shops in Shipston on Stour,my job when visting was to chip the potatoes. One potatoe at a time in the chipper,pull the handle and chips dropped into a Galvanished bucket. They kept there batter recipe secret,Think they put beer in it
 
As mentioned in a previous posting my favorite memory of scratchings comes from a small fish and chip shop which I believe was situated close to and opposite the Victoria Rd swimming baths. The kind people there always seemed to recognise their 'regulars' with towels rolled up under their arms looking longingly at the pile of scratchings. In those days the melt in your mouth, fish flavoured, gourmet's delight were the closest we kids could get to a helping of real fish and chips. My mouth is watering right now! I can visualize the labeling that would have to be attached today ..... Fat 50% of daily limit ... Calories 400 a heap .... Cholesteral 50% ..... Nutritional Value 0 ........ Pleasure 100%
 
Special treat when kid was taken to Picadilly cinema on Stratford road Sparkbrook and into Mermaid Fish chip shop on way home for bag chips.Was taken to see Bridge on River Kwai at the Picadilly and actually had chips with bread and butter at the table inside Mermaid.That was extra special treat
 
Museum_Stores_018.jpg
Just found these photo's taken a few years ago at the Museum Stores what a beautiful fryer!!
 
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I Remember The Fish And Chip Shop Over DUDDESTON MILL That's Where We Got Our Penny Worth Of Scratchings From Happy Memories
 
Wendy said:
Just found these photo's taken a few years ago at the Museum Stores what a beautiful fryer!!
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Wendy

I worked out that the location of that fish fryer in the storage depot in Dollman St was just about where the kitchen of our family home in Inkerman Street stood.

Phil
 
what a great fryer that is wend...it has an art decco look about it...

brilliant....

lyn
 
I can remember the pie warmer too, the chippy in Sutton had one, I was only about 4 and it fascinated me watching the pies go round, I thought they would fall off!!
Just be glad all you Brummies that you don't live in Birkenhead on the Wirral - we moved my daughter there yesterday and trolled round for half an hour looking for a plain ordinary chippy with no joy - plenty of kebabs, chinese and indian food but no chip shop!!!
Sue
 
do's anyone remember the chichen rotissarys that came in about the same time, a cabinett with about 7 or 8 whole chichens roasting at the same time, they had one at the chippy on bristol road selly oak near the oak cinema.
paul
 
cearnegiant said:
Sounds nice Sue,,,My Aunt had two Fish chip shops in Shipston on Stour,my job when visting was to chip the potatoes. One potatoe at a time in the chipper,pull the handle and chips dropped into a Galvanished bucket. They kept there batter recipe secret,Think they put beer in it
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Hi Cearnegiant - where were the chippies situated? There's only 1 left these days (and you wouldn't make a point of going to Shipston just for the chips!) on the A3400 just up from the Horseshoes pub towards Stratford (for which I WOULD make a point (pint?) of going to Shipston for!!!) on the other side of the road.
 
It's hard to find a decent chip shop these days, one where the chips are not all stuck together with soggy batter on the fish. It's mostly to do with the oil not being kept hot enough apparently as it saves money to turn the burners down.
went to see 'Corrie' at the Malvern theatre today & stopped on the way back at Astwood Bank chippie, the chips weren't too bad at all but the fish batter was a soggy mess
 
hi izzy
yes i can tell you where to find a brilliant chippie with no messy stuck together chips today
and that is dads chippie chip and fish shop with a eat in as well if you wanted to do so ;
and you will find it at dads lane kings heath and at dog pool lane stirchley ;
we travel to brum special for them and every time we are in brum we call in and get our fish and chips and we take them away in a aluminuim
foil bag ;we travel from worcestershire purposely for them and take them back with us and the scallops are thick and extra crunchie
and i mean crunchie they are a great couple whom run the shop
in fact they have taken over where beddows left off they have to be number 1 chippie in brum
i recommend them to every one we do not buy our chips from any where else we do not even buy them in worcestershire or ant where else in brum they are always packed out six days a week ; even the eat in eatery section
they are never sodden with grease or fat they are golden indeed
have a nice day best wishes astonian
 
HI Speedy. The one chippy in Market Place and the other one was on Road out of Shipston, Was also Fruit and Veg shop.They only fried there couple days a week.Think on the London road .
 
great stories...i remember as a kid i used to go into a fish and chip shop on coventry road small heath and ask for scratchings...blimey they always gave a lot...couldn't eat them all...the shop was close to saint andrews as i remember with a pub on the corner of cattel road...be great to see some pictures of these shops.
 
Cant beat Beddows we passed it the other day it was closed it only opens certain days I think.
 
I have really enjoyed this topic, being a fish and chip enthusiast. I am married to a Yorkshire wench; she calls our scratching, scraps.

All this talk of food, and how good old fish and chips were, made me feel quite hungry, so I made some the other day. Nice piece of fresh cod, batter made with beer, maris piper potatoes and home made tartar sauce. I drizzled a littlie batter into the oil, to make some scratchings too. Result, bliss.

It always amazes me that there are so many fish and chipshops that cannot make good fish and chips, when you consider how easy it is todo.
 
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no morton ;
its not just of the case of popping in to your fryer the fish and chips pototoes thats where every one whom thinks its straight forewarded
as that because there is an art to it and a nack it takes a good time to learn the nack in it thats why when you go to some chippie they are under cooked and very ; very greasy ; and also over cooked and burnt
and on the subject of the scratching many many places will not give you those scratching because from way back the health and safteity and
hygiene act came came into force i think it was in the sixtyies it became a health issues with these people thats why they are relucted to give them to you most fryers take then out before customers come in and asked them for them and its because you never know when these guys walk into your shop and if seen by one of them they face prosecution and get fined but alot of fryers know there customers and will get them
i suggest you take a wak down dog pool lane stirchley to dad resturant and fish and chip shop he his bursting all day long thats what they are like
they took over where beddows left off and incidently the name beddows name is above the shop ut they are the new owners and not
the orinional owner beddows
dads chippie is the best in brum and you can go in and sit in as well always serving faster and faster and turning out there golden chips daily
there customers come early for the fear of linning up and waiting to be served they are the only chippie we used we do not buy our chips local in worcestershire we wait until i am in brum and then we get them in a foil bag and drive back to worcester and they are still hot and delicious ;
have a great day mort lok foreward to taking that walknow the driotwich sectionis finaly openend alan ;; astonian
 
lok foreward to taking that walknow the driotwich sectionis finaly openend alan ;; astonian
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Hi Alan



Send me an instant message and ill set something up with you
 
Some chippies still do the scratchings, (or "bits" as I call 'em!) - even the chippy at the Black Country Museum at Dudley. Ask for "Fish, chips & bits".
The secret of good fish 'n chips is to cook them in beef dripping, not oil.
Alan, have you tried the chippy "Golden Gourmet" on the corner of Barbourne Rd and Hebb St, Worcester? Almost opposite the Royal Grammar School. Not bad for a modern chippy I thought.
Any chippy who has had a fire never cooks properly afterwards - too scared to have the oil hot enough. An Aunt of mine & her daughter had the Windsor Fish Shop on Bearwood Road once, before the war, and they told me that- from their own experience, I think.
 
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