New Cod on the Block

Visited from Peel for a rare treat for my Coeliac daughter I decided to pick my daughters up from dance class with a rare treat. Before I get into the review, I should note that the chips were untouched for around 20 minutes as I drove to my girls. However, as someone who has often had to wait 20 minutes to eat a chippy tea—and occasionally suffered a less-than-perfect chip as a result—I was still gutted by what we received. First, I want to highlight that the service was excellent. The staff were friendly, attentive, and couldn’t have been more helpful. The additions to the chips (chicken, sausages, etc.) were also very good—crispy and cooked as expected from a quality chip shop. However, I’m sorry to say that the chips themselves didn’t meet expectations. By any standard, and especially for a chip shop, they were disappointing. The chips were undercooked on the inside, overcooked on the outside, and noticeably greasy. Unfortunately, my Coeliac daughter—who was so thrilled with her surprise—was visibly disappointed, and her chips ultimately ended up in the bin. Living in Peel, we’re perhaps spoiled with consistently good chips out west, but I would expect any chip shop to get the basics right. I knew something was off the moment I opened my dinner. I realize this feedback might come across as overly harsh, but it’s rooted in genuine disappointment with our meal this evening. Without an email address to contact the owners directly, this public review feels like my only option to share our experience. That said, we will visit again, as I understand that mistakes happen and no one gets it perfect every time. I just hope that, next time, the chips live up to the otherwise excellent service and atmosphere. After all, when chips are the cornerstone of your business, they really need to be spot on.

Following the takeover (the place was recently known as Fryers), it didn't take the new people long to get sorted out. Keeping some of the existing staff clearly helped. They are still pretty reliable on the gluten-free option. Price is about right for a fish & chip shop. They use vegware takeaway containers which can get a bit messy with gravy but otherwise okay. But I miss the battered haggis that Fryers used to do.