10 of the best fish & chips shops

1. COLMANS OF SOUTH SHIELDS, TYNE AND WEAR

"Fish and chips is a very simple dish," says Richard Colman Ord, a fifth generation fryer whose family business started with a beach shack in 1905. "There's only three key ingredients: potatoes, fish and flour for the batter. So you have to make sure the ingredients you use are the best." The Ocean Road restaurant is renowned as a the place for a fish and chip supper, offering up their fried delights with plenty of bread and butter and a pot of tea.

2. THE LITTLE FISH AND CHIPS SHOP, SOUTHWOLD, SUFFOLK

Cooking up fish from its two boats (which also supply its sister Sole Bay Fish Company), this little chippy has a rare obsession with quality. "We have a shed just for making chips," says manager Andy Wix, who made the career move from high-end hospitality after being impressed by the company's fastidious standards. "We make our own curry sauce and mushy peas from scratch every day. We make our own tartare sauce. Everything is cooked to order, because who wants to eat a battered fish that's sat around for half an hour? Nobody. Our volume is wild – our shop is tiny but we do over £1,000 per hour just on fish, chips and mushy peas."

3. MAID MARIONS, ROBIN HOOD'S BAY, NORTH YORKSHIRE

A long queue is sure sign of an excellent chippy, and North Yorkshire's prettiest fishing villages has one to be proud of. Customers' patience is rewarded with brilliantly fresh fish and chips (thanks in part to the brisk trade) which are best enjoyed down by the lifeboat station listening to buskers. A quintessential British summer experience.

4. ALANDAS, LONGNIDDRY BENTS, EAST LOTHIAN

The alluringly-named Car Park No 3 is not only home to Edinburgh's best sunset spot, but dripping-fried fish and chips well worth a special trip. Parmesan and truffle oil chips add an earthy flourish to a menu otherwise very much of the sea: the battered king prawns, squid and haddock are renowned in the region. Alandas.co.uk

5. ERIC'S FISH & CHIPS, HOLT, NORFOLK

Its fish and chips are local legend, but the batter doesn't stop there. Chef and owner Eric Snaith explains all...

"We think our fried jam sandwich beats a jam doughnut! We prepare these in a sweet batter and then freeze them, which stops them over cooking. The same can be applied if deep-frying chocolate bars: freeze first, then flash under warm water so your flour will stick and double batter to avoid the coating splitting."

"The secret of a good batter? Keep it fresh. We make small batches and keep mixin