Four chippies in the Greater Manchester region have been ranked among the Top 50 in the entire country.
Fry Magazine, which publishes an annual list of the best places in Britain to grab a chippy tea, has released its official rankings for 2021.
A quartet of local cafes have made the prestigious list – which is arranged in alphabetical order.
The magazine performed a series of unannounced mystery dining visits throughout the year, marking shops and mobile units on over 40 aspects including food quality, customer service, social media presence and COVID-safe practices.
Outlets were also assessed on the “flakiness of the fish, the crispness of the chips and the crunch of the batter, alongside value for money.”
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Fry editors said that despite the challenging conditions of the past year, entrants “didn’t let standards slip” – with the quality benchmark said to be the highest in the awards’ history.
The Greater Manchester venues named on the list were as follows…
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Chips @ No.8, Prestwich
Chips @ No 8 / Image: Facebook
First up was Chips @ No 8 – a cafe made famous for having a 20ft mural of The Fall frontman Mark E. Smith painted on the side of its building.
But despite the artistic flourish on the exterior of the chippy, it’s always been the grub that truly keeps customers coming back.
Owners stated in a Facebook post: “There are more than 10,500 fish and chip shops in the UK and our little chippy down a side street in P-Town has been listed in the Top 50!!!
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“This is a prestigious list and we’re incredibly proud to have made it.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported us, everyone who has queued on a Friday.”
Sykes, Pendlebury, Salford
Sykes / Image: Facebook
Sykes is one of the most popular chippies in Salford – finishing top of a ‘Best Chippies’ poll voted on by MEN readers in 2020.
It’s a venue that’s no stranger to acclaim, so it was unsurprising to see the beloved Pendlebury fry house make Britain’s Top 50.
Nonetheless, the owners reacted to the news with delight.
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“With thousands of entries Sykes is proud to be named one of the UK’s top 50 fish and chip takeaways,” read a statement on social media.
“This is a prestigious award and the competition was high.
“We would like to thank all our loyal and supportive customers and those who have queued on our busy teas aswell as the wonderful team we have working with us.
“Really great to see other amazing Manchester fish and chip shops making the list!!!!”
The Little Chippy, Tyldesley
The Little Chippy / Image: Facebook
Also making the Top 50 was the humbly-named Little Chippy in Tyldesley – a cafe that whips up tasty portions that defy its diminutive name and stature.
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Based on Elliott Street, the cafe reels in five-star reviews on a regular basis – and owners said being named on the Fry Magazine list was a “great honour.”
“To make it onto the top 50 Chippy’s in the U.K. with our 1st entry in the awards is fantastic!” they stated.
“So glad to see so many other Manchester based chippy’s to make the list.
“We couldn’t do it without our dedicated team of staff and all our lovely customers who have stuck with us over this last 12 months.”
The Fish At Goose Green, Wigan
The Fish At Goose Green / Image: Facebook
Last but certainly not least was The Fish At Goose Green – the Wigan takeaway with slick branding and a deliciously expansive menu featuring pies, seafood and chicken as well the classic fish & chips.
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Owners welcomed the “fantastic news” after a “hard year”.
They stated: “We are extremely proud of our staff and are thankful for the continued support from all of our customers.
“I think there’s only one thing left to say… who’s up for a Chippy tea?”
You can view the full list of Fry Magazine’s Top 50 chippies online here.
Food & Drink
Beloved Manc butty shop Bada Bing set for a sensational return to the city centre
Danny Jones
Sandwich lovers rejoice because one of the finest butty shops to ever grace Manchester is returning: that’s right, Bada Bing is bada-back!
The Sopranos-inspired deli and sandwich shop that took its name from one of the central locations featured in the iconic US drama (yes, the strip club), was a huge success when it first opened in Manchester a few short years ago, so it was a huge blow when it closed in February 2022.
Starting out by serving sandwiches out of a window at The B Lounge pub on Paton Street near Piccadilly, before moving to a small kitchen on Radium Street and eventually setting up their stall inside Ancoats General Store, they would regularly have lines around the block every lunchtime.
These Italian-American sarnies were so popular you’d often struggle to get your claws on one – and believe us, they really are a two-handed task – as they’d sell out on what felt like most days. But now, whether you were a regular or someone who missed out, there is hope once again:
Announcing their sensational return to a new site over in the Northern Quarter, which will now mark the fourth premises they’ve popped up at, Bada Bing is back with a bang and, as you can, they dropped the news with one of the best reveal videos we’ve ever seen.
If you know, you know…
Set to take over 125 Oldham Street, owners Sam Gormally and Meg Lingenfelter haven’t yet graced us with an opening date but the new unit should hopefully be open sooner rather than later.
The duo, who previously worked at fellow NQ favourite Another Heart to Feed, came up with the concept during lockdown and it didn’t take long for the idea to take off, nor for them to earn their spot amongst the very best sandwich places in Manchester.
Seriously, these things were so big and unwieldy (in the best way possible) that they even used to come with eating instructions: both hands and the trademark Tony Soprano hunch recommended, though the slightly stained wife-beater, boxer shorts and open dressing gown look is optional.
From slices of provolone cheese, all the thinly sliced Italian meats you could think of and the closest thing to actual ‘gabagool‘ as you’ll find in Greater Manchester, the menu was fitting of being served up to the iconic characters that once sat outside Satriale’s and a big approving grin from the man himself.
Simply put, we cannot wait and we will certainly keep you posted when we find out exactly when Bada Bing confirms their official reopening date.
Burger King is giving away free burgers to new drivers today
Emily Sergeant
Burger King will be giving away burgers to drivers who have recently passed their tests for free of charge today.
In case it wasn’t on your radar, tomorrow (Thursday 24 July) is actually National Drive-Thru Day, and in a bid to properly celebrate this unofficial holiday, Burger King has decided to hand out a bunch of freebies to newbies today.
The fast food chain is asking all new drivers to “buckle up”, head on down to their nearest Burger King drive-thru, and help themselves to a free burger.
All newly-qualified drivers will be able to take their pick from either the Whopper or Chicken Royale without parting ways with a penny, and all they’ll need to do the claim their freebie is simply show off their learner’s ‘L Plates’ to the staff at their local Burger King restaurant.
/ Credit: Burger King UK (via Instagram) | Supplied
Hundreds of Burger King drive-thrus across the UK are taking part in the one-day promotion – including several across in Greater Manchester.
Although it might seem a little too good to be true, there’s a reason Burger King has chosen to dish out the freebies, and that’s because the company says it knows that one of the first activities newly-qualified drivers like do once they’ve passed their test is make a pit stop at a drive-thru with their mates to show off their new wheels and skills.
Sometimes though, navigating a drive-thru for the first time can be tricky, and this leaves new drivers feeling a bit like a rabbit in the headlights.
Luckily with this one-day Burger King offer, new drivers’ first drive-thru trip couldn’t be any easier.
The offer is available nationwide today (Wednesday 24 July) at Burger King drive-thru lanes only, while stock lasts, and newly qualified drivers must verbally mention “BK Plates” at the drive-thru lane to unlock their free burger.