Half of us now cook up top nosh at home

FAMILIES are shunning fish and chip shops to make the nation’s favourite dish at home.

A survey showed 42% of us are now choosing to cook up the traditional treat in our own kitchens.

Around 25% believe it is a healthier option, while 20% of those quizzed are worried about calorie content. The poll by Young’s Seafood also found many do it to save money, some for “taste” and others because they feel guilty after ordering a takeaway.

Other reasons people gave were to avoid greasy or soggy paper and queuing – as well as chips going cold on the way home.

But fish and chips remains the country’s favourite takeaway meal, with 56% choosing it.

Chippie owners urged the public to back their businesses and insisted they make the best fish and chips.

One expert, Tracy Lockwood, 48, manager of The Fisherman’s Lodge in Headingley, Leeds, said: “I would tell them to keep going and keep spending.

“People think fish and chips are bad for you but it’s actually one of the healthy takeaways.”

And Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers, said there are many “misconceptions” about the classic dish.

The 42-year-old, who owns a chip shop near Chorley, Lancs, added: “To have quality fish is always going to be expensive but cooked correctly it’s very healthy for you.

“The shops are experts in cooking it, and take away all the hassle and smell of cooking it yourself in the home.

“The techniques we have got now and the expertise, we can produce a very healthy meal.

“And it still represents great value for money.”