It’s been the subject of fierce debate for many years, but what exactly is a bread roll stuffed with chips inside actually called?
Is it a chip cob, a chip barm, a chip roll, a chip sandwich, or something else entirely?
There’s plenty of different regional names for the delicacy, but today – on what is National Fish & Chip Day 2020 – Britain has spoken, and for the firs time, the correct name for this legendary culinary delight can be revealed.
Bosses at takeaway delivery app Foodhub have been scratching their heads like the rest of the country over the delicious dilemma, so to put an end to the arguments, they surveyed the nation to find out the answer to the question that all food fans have been discussing, debating and fighting about for ages.
After much deliberation and a painstaking count of the votes, Foodhub has officially declared the king of takeaway snacks as the ‘Chip Butty’.
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According to the 2,000 takeaway fans surveyed by Foodhub in August this year, asking the hotly-debated question of chippy connoisseurs everywhere from John O’Groats to Lands End, a resounding 58% of the nation – four times more than any other option – say that chips served in a bread roll should be called a Chip Butty.
That sounds like a win for us Northerners, right?
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Dissecting the results further, Wil Chung – spokesperson for Foodhub – said: “For years, people have argued that it should be called either a chip roll, chip cob, chip barm or a myriad of other titles, but Britain has spoken, and we finally have an overwhelming consensus from the majority of the nation – it is, officially called a Chip Butty.
“The second most popular title for the Chip Butty is chip roll, with 11% of the vote. In third place is chip sandwich, with 6% of the vote, followed by a chip bap (5.75%), chip barm (4.85%) and chip cob (4%).
“There were also regional differences in opinion on this iconic water cooler debate, as you’d expect. For instance – in the North-west there was very little in it between Chip Butty and Chip Barm, Chip Butty winning the vote by just 2%. In London, while Chip Butty was favourite, Chip Roll was also up there with more than 1 in 5 people opting for that choice, and in the East Midlands around Leicester and Nottingham, while Chip Butty took the most votes, chip cob was a close second with almost 3 in every 10 people opting for that title.”
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One other thing that is certain, Britain is still very much in love with the classic fish and chips, but across the regions though, there are again some differences in how we like to eat it.
Salt and Vinegar is the overwhelming choice when choosing toppings for the nation’s favourite meal. In the North West, mushy peas (57%) and gravy (24%) feature highly on fish and chips fans must-haves agenda, in London, mayonnaise (25%) and curry sauce (24%) are the big condiment choice.
The nation is also split about how best to eat fish and chips, with 33% saying they prefer to eat it from the paper and 35% saying they’d rather eat it from a plate. Some 44% of us eat our fish and chips with a traditional knife and fork, though almost one in five of us like to eat it with an iconic chippy-style wooden fork.
When it comes to fish itself, a medium sized, lightly battered cod fillet with a medium-sized portion of chunky chips is overwhelmingly the nation’s favourite.
Whatever way, it all tastes like a Friday to us – enjoy your National Fish & Chips Day, Manchester.
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Mix-up leaves tourists bound for Peak District on a day trip to… Rochdale
Daisy Jackson
Who needs rolling hills and country pubs when you could have *checks notes* roadworks and charity shops?
Well, that’s the situation two people ended up in recently after a mix-up rerouted their trip to the Peak District to Rochdale, of all places.
Thankfully seeing the funny side, Canadian TikTok creator Mackenzie shared a video of the day trip they got stuck with.
The pair of mates had been planning a trip to the honeypot town of Castleton in the Peak District, but accidentally ended up heading over to Castleton in Rochdale instead.
In the light-hearted clip, she says: “This is just a reminder to read the small print when you want to do a spontaneous trip. Because Margarita and I thought we were going to the Peaks, and this is where we are…” while panning to the sight of some roadworks.
She continued: “We thought we were going to see gorgeous green hills. Nope.
“Anyways, come with us on our Castleton Manchester, not Peak District adventure.”
They visited Springfield Park, went to a pub to eat onion rings (with a random giant dog staring at them), erm… went to a charity shop, and looked at some houses.
Okay so not quite the Peak District paradise they were picturing.
One person commented: “Absolutely howling. Come all the way from America to end up in Rochdale” (Mackenzie stressed in her reply that she lives in Manchester and also, is Canadian).
Another said: “It’s the Springfield park for me”
Someone else suggested: “Rochdale should rename all of its areas to encourage more tourists. Hahah”
Dying to know if these girls ever made it to Castleton, Derbyshire.
Travel warning issued as Manchester braces for busiest day of the year so far
Daisy Jackson
A ‘plan ahead’ travel warning has been issued for this weekend as the Manchester Marathon brings the busiest day of the year so far on the tram network.
Tens of thousands of people will hit the streets to take part in the race itself, with thousands more cheering them on from the sidelines.
This year’s Manchester Marathon route takes 36,000 runners through Sale, Stretford and Timperley before finishing up at a new finish line on Oxford Road – and there’ll be some big changes to your usual travel routes to accommodate this.
TfGM has said that Bee Network trams will be very busy before, during and after the 26.2 mile race, especially in Manchester and Trafford, with a number of road closures in place too.
Taking place on Sunday 27 April, the Manchester Marathon will coincide with Manchester’s popular St George’s Day parade which starts and ends across town around Oldham Road and Great Ancoats Street.
People are being encouraged to plan their journeys carefully this weekend, as it’s expected to be the busiest day of the year on the Bee Network trams.
The Manchester Marathon last year set a new personal best for the tram network, with 175,000 tram journeys racked up – the highest ever recorded on a single Sunday.
Trams will be the best choice to get around the Manchester Marathon course with key stops along the route including Sale, Timperley and Chorlton.
Many road closures will also be in place but at different times of day, so make sure you check HERE for the latest.
This will impact bus services, which will be on diversion from 8am until the end of service on Sunday, with traffic and congestion expected on surrounding roads.
Runners heading to the start line will only be able to access the athletes’ village from Old Trafford and Trafford Bar tram stops up until 9am. Participants arriving after 9am should get off at Wharfside or Exchange Quay instead.
Metrolink is promising to deploy as many double trams as possible across the network, with additional services between Piccadilly and Timperley.
As for other modes of transport, those who wish to drive should make us of Park and Ride facilities where possible; and those on the train should note that Salford Central remains closed with bus replacements in place.
Danny Vaughan, Chief Network Director at TfGM said: “The Manchester Marathon is a highlight of the Manchester city centre calendar and our job is to make sure everyone can get to and from the event as smoothly as possible.
“We want everyone to have a great day – whether they are taking on the run themselves or cheering on a friend or loved one – and would urge people to plan their journey in advance, leave plenty of time and check the Bee Network app or website for the most up-to-date information.
“The start and finish lines will be especially busy so if you are coming to watch you may be better off catching the tram to Sale, Timperley or Chorlton, grabbing a coffee and claiming afront row seat to cheer runners on.
“Using public transport is the best way to avoid congestion and delays – and with Tap and Go contactless payments it’s never been easier or more seamless to get around Greater Manchester by bus and tram.”
Passengers can now travel seamlessly between bus and tram and pay for their journey by tapping on when boarding a bus without the need for a ticket, making it the quickest and easiest way to pay for travel.
People travelling on Bee Network buses on Marathon Day can simply tap in and pay £5 for the day on as many buses as they need and just £4.90 on the tram. You can use all Bee Network buses as much as you want all day from just £5.40*.
Kirsty Wilde, Operations Director, from Manchester Marathon organisers A.S.O. UK, said: “The TfGM tram service is an invaluable part of our event, which allows thousands of participants and supporters to navigate around the city. With a record-breaking 36,000 participants set to take part on Sunday 27th April – and more exciting activities taking place over the weekend as a whole – we’re anticipating a rise in tram journeys, which will subsequently bring economic benefits to local vendors, the hospitality sector, and retail businesses.
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“We’d like to thank Transport for Greater Manchester for its continued hard work helping to facilitate what will be the largest event yet, and would also like to say a big thank you to the residents and businesses across Greater Manchester for their understanding and support.”