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.
Hit Stockport sandwich shop Rack is opening a second cafe in Sale
Georgina Pellant
Stockport’s favourite sandwich shop is coming to Sale, it has been revealed this week.
The small but mighty butty shop is expanding, as owners unveiled plans to open a new cafe and brunch spot inside a former barber’s shop in Sale.
Set to open on School Road later this year, the team will move into a characterful and quirky space in M33 following a full refurbishment.
With a hidden entrance down a side alley and then up a flight of exterior stairs, it might not be the easiest to find but – based on the calibre of butties coming out of their original shop – we know with certainty this will be worth seeking out.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Promising to keep it ‘all things sandwich’, just as they do at the original Stockport shop, on the Sale menu fans of things in bread will be as well catered to as ever with a dedicated grilled sandwich menu, plus staple breakfast butties and regular specials.
That’s not all, though. Given the increased size of the new space, the Rack team is also planning on introducing a new brunch menu – although details are currently being kept under wraps.
Sharing the news with fans online in a post that has been liked over 500 times, the Rack team wrote: “Huge Sandwich & Brunch Announcement.
“We’re opening a brand new sandwich and brunch spot on School Road in Sale M33! Taking over the space that once was a quirky first floor barber shop on the high street – The entrance is down the side alley and up the stairs, it’s got bags of character.
“Swipe to see how buzzing we were to start smashing walls down and see some of the progress. Keep your eyes peeled for progress pics and the menu drop – opening soon!
“We’ll be keeping it all things sandwich but with the addition of a new brunch menu. It’s a much bigger space than the Stockport OG store and we’re very excited!”
Fans have been quick to share their excitement for the new opening, with one person writing: “Down the road from my office? Oh this is great news!”
Another person said: “It’s gonna be a good one! Great addition to Sale after the Foodhall sadly shut. New lunch spot right here!”
A third person added: “Brilliant news. Welcome to Sale!”
To find out more about Rack and keep up to date with the team’s news ahead of the Sale opening, make sure to follow them on Instagram here.
Featured image – Rack
Eats
These are Manchester’s favourite takeaways, according to Deliveroo
The Manc
When it comes to finding the best takeaways in our area, we don’t mess about – and neither does Deliveroo.
The original restaurant-quality food delivery service is celebrating eight years in Manchester this summer – and after nearly a decade of championing independent eateries, the team has noticed that when it comes to ordering in we Mancs are creatures of habit.
According to new insights published by the food couriers, Manchester locals can’t get enough of Salford’s sell-out smashed burgers, with the Burgerism Meal Deal being the most popular dish in the city.
Other top orders include Egg Fried Rice from Oodles and Margherita pizza from Rudy’s, followed by 8 Boneless Pieces from Wingstop and – last but not least – the OG Kebab from German Doner Kebab (GDK).
However, when it comes to local favourites, biryani, ice cream, and cookies all top the list of the most searched-for dishes in Manchester, with searches for biryani rising by 39% in the last two months.
Image: Burgerism
Image: Burgerism
Finding also discovered that Friday night at 7pm is the most popular time for Mancs to order on Deliveroo, with more orders being placed in central Manchester, Chorlton and Withington than any other neighbourhood.
Since its launch in Manchester eight years ago, more than 4,000 local restaurants have signed up to the platform.
Deliveroo has created work for more than 5,900 people in the city and surrounding areas, with the majority of these being the Deliveroo riders who deliver your food which is cooked fresh to order and brought to your door within 30 minutes.
Deliveroo has also remained committed to supporting local businesses in Manchester, with 60% per cent of its restaurant partners being local independent restaurants, creating new revenue streams for homegrown culinary talent.
Burgerism, Zumuku Sushi, and Proove Pizza are the top three small businesses that have been supported by Deliveroo over the past eight years.
Across these eight years, Deliveroo has become a city staple, with the top neighbourhood for restaurant orders being Central Manchester, whilst in second and third spots are Chorlton and Withington, respectively.
American cuisine has been a consistent favourite for all Manc orderers over recent years, alongside German, Mexican, Greek & Thai.
And that’s not all, Deliveroo data can also reveal Central Manchester is the neighbourhood that orders the most burgers, whilst Hulme is the city’s vegan capital, and residents in Salford can’t get enough of wings.
Daniel Soile, City Manager for Manchester, said: “Our whole team here at Deliveroo is delighted that our rapid growth in Manchester over the past eight years means that customers have more choice, restaurants are able to increase their revenue, and riders have the opportunity to choose well-paid, flexible work.”