Cod save the Queen!
A FISH and chip shop has gone viral with its special Platinum Jubilee fish supper which is a vivid blue and red battered plateful of one of the UK’s favourite takeaways.
Crisp & Fry in Carmarthenshire put out the brightly coloured fish and chip dinner on TikTok and so far it has racked up nearly half a million views, with people either loving or recoiling at the concoction – and the Crip & Fry team are loving the buzz the Jubilee-celebrating dinner has created.
Jason Thomas, pictured, spokesman for Crisp & Fry – which has branches in Cross Hands, Ammanford and a soon-to-be new branch in Carmarthen – said that customers have been asking for the red chips especially, but the dish isn’t on sale quite yet as it’s planned for the Jubilee week. He added that the creation has sparked requests for more colourful concoctions.
“People have come in when we’re test cooking and they absolutely loved the battered [red] chips,” said Jason. “They’ve even called in asking for the battered chips. It’s just food colouring, it doesn’t taste different, it’s just fish and chips and the food colouring in the batter.
“We’ve found people asking us on TikTok to do a Ukrainian one, an Irish one – which would be a challenge with all the coloured stripes – and someone said, ‘Can you do a Welsh dragon?’. I know I’m creative but I’m not that creative.”
The Crisp & Fry’s TikTok account was set up by Jason as a bit of fun to showcase what the shop gets up to, including battering and frying items like ice cream.
Owner Jamie Stephens said the creation is a little bit of Jubileethemed fun after what has been a tough time for all over the past couple of years.
He said: “Building a chain of four fish and chip shops in West Wales during Covid, Brexit and a war in Ukraine certainly has its challenges. This TikTok, like many others, is a little bit of fun, time to celebrate and enjoy a Platinum Jubilee during unprecedented times... #supportlocal.”
As it’s been seen by so many people, the vivid blue and red chippy tea hasn’t always appealed, but Jason said it’s part of the fun. “If you walked into a chip shop and saw that on the counter, you’d probably walk straight back out. It’s not something you’d normally see.
“But we’ve had people come in and see the colourful chips in the range and have gone ‘this is mental’ but bought the chips and said they’re amazing. You eat with your eyes, it’s that simple.
“The food colouring is obviously a bit of viral fun, it puts people off... a few people are quite shocked and disgusted and then there’s a few people who’ve said, ‘What would Liz think?’. And I’ve said we do a pensioner discount for £6.49 all day, so she’s welcome to come and try it! If she gives us a good Google review, I’m sure we can come up with some sort of deal.”