Fish and chips, considered Britain’s national dish, is deeply rooted in tradition. People savour the dish in different ways; eating paper-wrapped fish and chips by the seaside, at their favourite chip shop, or bringing the warm parcels home to enjoy.
Unlike other fast food chains like McDonald’s and KFC, which attract customers with “secret” menu items, the iconic fish and chip trade has a different approach. The team at Poppies, a well-loved chain of London chippies, has shared some of the best-kept secrets of the trade. Named after Pat ‘Pops’ Newland—who started in the fish and chip business at just 11 years old—Poppies began its journey on Roman Road, where he used the Daily Mirror newspaper to wrap fish and chips for takeaway.
Today, the chain offers the quintessential British classic at four locations around London: Soho, Spitalfields, Camden, and Notting Hill. However, there’s one item that the Poppies team would never order themselves.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, they said: “It would have to be jellied eels. They’ve been a popular dish since the 18th century, and lots of our customers love them, but if you’re new to the dish, it can be quite a demanding bite!
“We serve them in the traditional way, which is cold, having been chopped, boiled and coated in a spiced stock that sets around the pieces of eel forming a jelly.”
Regarding the top sellers that the team and their patrons favour most, it must be cod and chips, requested “all day long.” They also disclosed that an astounding 70% of Londoners prefer cod above other fish varieties.
And it’s hardly surprising given Poppies restaurants’ distinctive proposition—fresh, not frozen fish.
The chip shop experts shared: “A lot of fish and chip shops use frozen fish fillets, which I don’t think many people realise.
“The fillets come from far away and can be frozen for a long time before they end up on your plate. It’s one of the main points of difference at Poppies.
“We only ever use fresh fish, caught sustainably and responsibly from the waters around Peterhead in Scotland. Every day we receive the fresh catch, our skilled fishmongers fillet and prepare the portions and then they are coated in batter and cooked to order for our customers.”
No serving of fish and chips is complete without a tasty accompaniment, and at Poppies, mushy peas reign supreme as the top seller.
The team disclosed: “Curry sauce trumps gravy amongst our customers but the number one side is always mushy peas.”
These mouth-watering accompaniments complement a remarkable 13 tons of potatoes that are peeled in Poppies’ kitchens each week to create the 40,000 portions of chips that are purchased weekly.