Happy national chip week! Fun facts on a national delicacy
Whether it is straight out the bag on the seafront, or in front of the TV at home, it is easy to see why a chippy tea is a national favourite.
This week has celebrated national chip week and the humble spud is certainly a firm favourite on menus across the Midlands.
Bilston may be a few miles in land from the beach but if you say chips, we say Major's.
Their famous chips are a bostin' Black Country tradition and while the Black Country has a fondness for orange battered chips, from field to fryer Brits have created a variety of delicious potato dishes.
Whether chopped straight, chunky, crinkle cut or skinny, people across the UK just can't get enough of a delicious chippy tea. Home cooked chips feature as part of 2.8bn meal occasions in Great Britain each year and we make over 27million visits to fish and chip shops every month.
From field to fryer, chips glorious chips have a firm hold on our nations not so healthy hearts with over 247 million portions of fish and chip served up each year in fish and chip shops up and down the country.
To cope with demand almost 676,000 tonnes of British potatoes are needed to make fresh chips in Great Britain every year.
The space of almost 20,000 football pitches is used to grow potatoes each year with around 14,000 hectares of potatoes are grown in Great Britain to be used for fresh chips.
Our fondness for the dish dates back hundreds of years and it is believed the world's first fish and chip shop opened in 1860. Malin's, opened on Old Ford road, East London and portions were served in newspaper until the 1980s when they were banned due to the ink in the paper.
The much loved tradition was the only take-away food not to be rationed during the Second World War. Frederick Lord Woolton, Minister of Food at the time, even allowed mobile frying vans to carry fish and chips to evacuees around the country.
Spud you believe that while nowadays the average chip shop dinner costs £3.22, the world's most expensive fish and chip dinner was created by Michelin-starred chef Simon Haigh costing a whopping £304 per portion. The dish included Dover Sole, black truffle and champagne batter.
It is a classic meal loved by everyone, including celebrities, with many choosing to serve a bag of chips on star studded occasions.
Kate Moss had fish and chips at her hen-do in 2011, while the classic dish was served to guests at the wedding of Myleene Klass and Graham Quinn .
It is easy to see why chips are a much loved Black Country favourite, so what's for tea tonight?
