Every year, the great and good from the world of fish and chips eagerly await the release of the Fry Magazine Top 50.
If your business involves battering, this is the big one, a shining endorsement of your efforts. Those in the industry refer to it as the Oscars of Fish & Chips.
And for the last couple of years, a tiny Greater Manchester chippy has elbowed its way onto the list, and stayed there.
Chips @ No 8 in Prestwich has been consistently named as one of the UK’s best by the magazine, earning national acclaim.
So is is actually worth the hype, or the queue that sometimes gets down the street?
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Yes. It is.
I could just stop writing there, really, but let’s carry on.
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Curry sauce on a Chips @ No 8 chippy tea. Credit: The Manc GroupGot the bag at Chips @ No 8. Credit: The Manc GroupBattered halloumi from Chips @ No 8 in Prestwich
There are a few things that make this little local hotspot so special.
They cook all their potatoes in beef dripping (or vegetable oil on request), which leads to the most jaw-droppingly perfect chips that retain their heat and texture for as long as it takes you to leg it home with your paper bag full of fried goodies.
None of that soggy nonsense sticking to the paper. These spuds have integrity.
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Owner Dan Edwards must have sold his sole to the devil to come up with batter as light and crisp as his is, perfectly cradling buttery-soft fillets of cod and haddock.
Vegetarians are well-looked after too, with herb-battered halloumi that turns to a buttery, salty disc and a regularly changing roster of pies.
And local suppliers pop up regularly, like Grandad’s Sausages with their intimidatingly long meat products.
With food this good (I haven’t even mentioned their perfect curry sauce yet), Chips @ No 8 was always going to shine against so many hundreds of brilliant fish and chip shops nationwide.
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But it’s the little extra attention to detail that set the bar even higher here.
It’s the map on the wall labelled with whiteboard marker, showing where that day’s potatoes and fish have come from.
It’s the disco ball hanging from the ceiling, so that even a Friday night sitting in your pants eating fried food and watching Netflix feels that bit more fun.
Battered halloumi in curry sauce from Chips @ No 8 in Prestwich. Credit: The Manc GroupA map of suppliers inside Chips @ No 8 in Prestwich. Credit: The Manc Group
It’s their efforts to support local, from raising funds for EatWellMCR (through battered Creme Eggs, of course) to commissioning local artists to paint the windows.
Times are really, really tough for fish and chip shops in the UK right now. The fish has hit the fan and we’re losing these British institutions at an alarming rate.
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Just this week, Dan shared a heartfelt statement stressing how dire things are, with energy bills doubling in the last month alone, haddock soaring 40%, and potatoes costing 25% more.
He wrote: “Why am I telling you all this? Because if and when our prices go up, it’s out of necessity, just to keep the doors open.
“Every fish and chip shop in the country is sweating over whether they should/could increase prices? Will people still come? How are the bills/staff/suppliers going to get paid?
“Support your local fish and chip shop, even if it’s not us, because if it closes, I guarantee another one won’t open in its place.”
Trust the hype. Trust the queues. Trust us. Chips @ No 8 is a gem.
Manchester dessert hatch receives two-star review for ‘smiling too much’
Daisy Jackson
A dessert hatch in Manchester city centre has spoken out after receiving a two-star review – in which the main criticism was that they ‘smiled too much’.
Layr, a tiny tiramisu spot in Ancoats, has publicly addressed the review, which said the staff’s friendliness was ‘almost creepy’.
The reviewer wrote: “Came today, had alright tiramisu but the staff were smiling too much it was almost creepy. Also felt interrogated, just wanted to get my tiramisu and leave, don’t think ill be back.”
Layr – which was also the victim of ‘hostile hate messages’ earlier this year – has now shared a response to the new two-star review.
They’ve said that while they will always take feedback on board, they refuse to change ‘the warmth & smiles you’re greeted with’.
Layr posted: “We absolutely recognise, and know that every customer experience matters. We never want anyone to feel uncomfortable visiting us, and always take every bit of feedback on board.
“Smiling is just who we are. Layr was built to feel warm, welcoming, and to be a memorable part of your day, week or month. We all need that little pick-me-up no matter what.
“Our amazing team all work incredibly hard, GENUINELY enjoy meeting so many of you and hearing about your day.
“If being too friendly gets us two stars, we can live with that.
“We’ll always choose warmth, no matter what. Great tiramisu matters, so does good people and amazing energy.
“A message to our team. Please don’t stop smiling. Ever.”
Huge beer hall in ‘up-and-coming’ Manchester neighbourhood announces shock closure after two years
Daisy Jackson
A huge beer hall and rotisserie chicken restaurant that opened just two years ago in Manchester has announced its shock closure.
Trading Route was a joint venture between some of the city’s most established hospitality figures, including Trof, Manchester Union, and Wandering Palate.
The brilliant local business has described how difficult it has been to operate as the only independent business in St John’s, ‘an area that is still described as ‘up-and-coming”.
They said that not enough footfall has not come to the area to support what they were building, which – combined with rising costs in the industry – has made it too difficult to continue operating.
They added: “We’re proud of what we created at Trading Route and incredibly grateful to our customers and everyone who supported us over the past two years.
“To our team, we’re deeply sorry we couldn’t make it work for you. The friendships made over the past two years mean so much to us, and knowing the impact this closure has on you is especially hard.”
They then urged people to sign the petition to reduce VAT for hospitality, saying it could help to save your favourite places.
The Trading Route in Manchester has closed with immediate effectThe bar served great local beers and rotisserie chicken
Trading Route will close in Manchester with immediate effect.
Their full statement reads: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Trading Route with immediate effect.
“Rising costs and stagnant footfall have made the business increasingly difficult to sustain, with trading conditions particularly challenging over the previous three months.
“We spent our first 12 months operating amid ongoing construction in an area that is still described as “up-and-coming”. As the only independent business in the area, we needed footfall to grow to support what we were building. Unfortunately, that growth hasn’t materialised quickly enough.
“We’re proud of what we created at Trading Route and incredibly grateful to our customers and everyone who supported us over the past two years.
“To our team, we’re deeply sorry we couldn’t make it work for you. The friendships made over the past two years mean so much to us, and knowing the impact this closure has on you is especially hard.
“It’s too late for us, but you could help save your favourite places by signing the petition to reduce VAT for hospitality to 10%. Independent bars, restaurants and pubs need your support to keep their doors open.
Daisy Jackson -
12th May 2023 
