There are many reasons why the combination of fish and chips is so popular in the UK... let us count the ways! Some are historical, some are financial and some are just plain practical.

The historical reasons are tied up with the old Roman Catholic tradition of not eating meat on a Friday, especially in Lent. There are also financial and practical reasons why "fish and chips" is so popular in the UK. As an island nation, fish has always been extremely important, particularly in areas on the edge. These include Scotland, Cornwall, and the counties that border the wild North Sea, traditionally source of some of the very best cod, haddock and plaice.

Potatoes, relatively easy to grow in the damp and fertile climate, have been popular for centuries as a cheap, nutritious food, whether boiled, mashed, roasted, or fried in Irish potato shops in the nineteenth century.

Fried battered fish was invented by the Portuguese, and the Belgians claim they invented the chip, but their first happy union occurred in the UK in the mid 1800s. Legend says that an enterprising young Jewish lad called Joseph Malin first sold the two together. In 1896, Londoner Samuel Isaacs opened the first fish restaurant. During World War Two, fish and potatoes were amongst the very few foods not subject to rationing.

Ever since, they've continued to offer fantastic value for money. In a country where the weather is not exactly predictable, fish and chips are the ultimate in comfort food.

In fish and chip shops across England, when buying your fish and chips you will be offered a side serving of mushy peas. Many Brits think mushy peas are the essential accompaniment to fish and chips and can't imagine eating fish and chips without the peas. But what exactly are mushy peas, how are they made and what gives them that bright green color?

The basics

Mushy peas are not your usual garden-grown variety. They're made from marrowfat peas, a bigger and rounder sort. To be sure, marrowfat peas stay in the ground longer than the normal garden peas.

The process

Mushy peas are dried and later plumped by soaking them in water overnight. Once they are softened, they are boiled in a large pot with salt and a spoonful of sugar until they turn into a thick soup. The peas can then be canned and stored or frozen in portions to be defrosted as needed. Often they're colored artificially as they're more grayish than green.

Very few restaurants, or fish and chip shops in England, will make their own peas, with most buying them in bulk from wholesalers. Not so at go brit! where mushy peas are made fresh daily and without any artificial food coloring! What a powerhouse of British goodness. You want to try? Come on over! We've got lots to share.

Size does matter when it comes to spuds, but that is not the only difference between British chips and American fries

The size and depth of potato slices are so important to us at go brit! that we diligently cut chips to the exact size every time.  As you know, British people call "chips" what Americans know as French fries (an American looking for a packet of potato chips in a shop in any part of the UK will have to ask for "crisps"). The name for those fried sticks of potato, which go so well with fish or burgers, isn't the only difference between the two.

Size matters! The traditional fries, as found in America, are generally thin and of a uniform length. There are several advantages to thin fries, most importantly that they cook quickly whether being fried in oil or oven baked. British chips tend to be much fatter than fries, at least a thumb's width or sometimes even thicker. Their chunky appearance is created by peeling potatoes by hand, then hand cutting or using a special chipping machine to slice them into thick pieces of potato.

Darker color and texture. As fries are thinner and take a short time to cook, they emerge from the fryer or the oven in a golden color. British chips are fatter and, therefore, take longer to cook in the hot oil. This longer cooking time means that the outside of the chip is often quite brown when it is removed from the oil. Traditionally, British chips were deep fried in animal fat, normally lard or beef dripping. This method of preparation has fallen out of fashion because of the health implications. Nowadays, most chippies fry their chips in a good quality vegetable or sunflower oil.

Vinegar or ketchup? When buying chips from a chippie shop in the UK, you will be offered salt and vinegar. Some chippies will have ketchup, brown sauce or mustard, but it will be in little sachets and you will be expected to pay extra for it. Salt and vinegar is very much the standard accompaniment for chips. No worries, at go brit! you can have it your way!

Fish and chips is a real British tradition, and something that is taken very seriously. There are annual competitions to find the best outlets for this delicious meal in the UK. One of the easiest ways for chippies to differentiate themselves from the competition is to vary the type of batter they use. Some chippies prefer to coat their fish in a very thick batter to protects the fish from the hot oil and keep it moist and tasty. Others prefer to use a very light batter, almost like a tempura to cook their fish.

We love our beer batter! In England, even some of the more upmarket chippies have adopted it to use in their batter recipes. The downside to using beer to prepare batter is that it is obviously more expensive than using water, either still or carbonated. But it's worth the taste! Beer works much in the same way as carbonated water in that the bubbles in the beer add a lightness and crispiness to the finished product. Different beers can be used, and a darker beer gives more flavor and color. Because the fish is fried at such a high temperature, the alcohol burns off during the cooking process. Now you know why the batter for the fish at go brit! is so delicious.

Sticky. Toffee. Pudding. Just those three words on their own are enough to make most English people's mouths water. Many British chefs claim to have invented the iconic dessert, but most sources credit a hotel in the Lake District in 1960.

We're proud to say that here in the First State, we've got the top billing on this pudding. So why do we all love it so much?

It's comforting. Sticky toffee pudding harks back to the more traditional sorts of English puddings, such as "jam roly poly." Consider it a taste of yesteryear. Sticky toffee pudding is served hot, and on a cold day, it's the perfect after, as we say in England, to a meal.

It's stodgy, gooey and sinfully good. Enjoy it with cream, custard or ice cream - or on its own. The combination of flavors and textures with the warm sauce and cream are heavenly and amazingly good in the raw with just the toffee sauce covering it.

It's original. No matter the recipe, sticky toffee pudding tastes like nothing you've ever had before. In some places, fruit is added to the mixture; traditionally dates are used, but prunes are an alternative. Some cooks make little individual puddings; others prefer one larger pudding to divide among guests.

Whether you're looking for a perfect dessert for a small dinner gathering or an office party, you'll make a huge hit with our takeout pudding. We offer pan sizes of the pudding that start at six servings for $26 and 12 servings for $50.