Friday 7 November 2008

The Village Chippy, Trafford Park

First up my apologies for being a little workshy on the blog front recently. Truth be told getting the knockback from the Hollands Pie Panel has really taken the wind out of my sails. I think it's up there with the great injustices of our time, Brian Clough not getting the England manager's job, OJ Simpson walking free and Joe Strummer not receiving a posthumous Knighthood (Lord Strummer of Willesden and Cricklewood).
Anyway, onwards and upwards. I work in an area (Salford Quays) that is almost totally devoid of decent chippies. The nearest is Lou Macari’s near Old Trafford and to be honest it isn't up to much. It also bumps up its prices on match days booooooo! So, on a recent drive through nearby Trafford Park I was chuffed to spot a little side street that boasted all the necessities a working man desires, Greggs, Bookies, Post Office and most importantly, a Chippy.
It looked promising as I pulled up outside, a queue of people snaking out of the door is always a good sign. I ordered Cod and a large portion of chips and hunkered down at the little tables provided to enjoy my scran.
As you can see the Fish was a little on the small side, it also curled up at both ends. The batter was ok, maybe a little brittle but the Cod inside was reasonable enough. The chips were a major disappointment though, really dry and there was loads of those little “bitty” ones that are no fun at all. Another bugbear was the fact that I’d ordered a large portion and paid 40p extra for it, but the portion was what I’d call just a standard size and I can name many chippies off the top of my head where you get far more chips for your money. So, overall the Village was my first major disappointment and I'm afraid I can only award it a paltry four out of ten. I'm particularly gutted as I really do need to find a decent chippy within reasonable driving distance of work. If anyone out there knows of one, post it up. In other news, I’ve managed to recruit another like minded sole, our South East Correspondent Tom Dobson who will be publishing his first review shortly. Is there a North/South divide when it comes to the nation’s favourite dish? London lad Tom is the man who will hopefully supply some answers. He’ll also be musing on Gherkins in chippies and that perennial complaint of the Northerner down South “What no gravy!”. Watch this space.

Monday 3 November 2008

Many are called...

But few are chosen and unfortunately I fell at the last hurdle in my bid to be a member of the Hollands Pie Panel. However I'm undeterred and the search for Chipshop excellence continues. Stay tuned for more news, reviews and tales of derring do with a plastic fork.
My quest has inspired a mate of mine Alex to begin adding a few Chippy reviews to his site at quosh.com it’s not just about fish and chips though. He's also a big fan of John Cooper Clarke who isn’t adverse to the odd pie himself.