Southwold – The Little Fish and Chip Shop

This looked to me like the best reviewed chip shop in Southwold and apparently there’s nearly always a queue. A queue is usually a positive sign (although occasionally a sign of complete incompetence of course), but it all looked tempting enough for me to visit.

What I like about this is that they’ve made it idiot proof, so that not even I could get confused where to go. Customers go in the door marked ‘in’ when there’s space, they then order and then wait outside. The customer in front of me ordered what I think was four lobsters and chips, which is very much a Southwold thing to do I think, I doubt that happens much in somewhere like Long Stratton. Since that came to over £80, I was starting to be slightly nervous about how much my order of just chips would come to and even whether you’re supposed to just order chips at a decadent place like this.

I nervously ordered just chips and was pleased when the server didn’t say “yes, and?” and he was polite and helpful. Fortunately, my portion of chips came to what I felt was a reasonable £2.50 and I didn’t have to wait, they served my order immediately. All very efficient, friendly and I thought really quite organised.

This photo doesn’t do the portion of chips much justice, and I’m not sure I’ve had chips presented like this recently in a bag. In reality, the portion size was nearly too much for me, although I bravely did finish them as I’m very much against food wastage. The chips were chunky and were fluffy on the interior and firm on the exterior, and they’re cooked in beef dripping, which is the only option. I don’t have any issues with this, but it will of course restrict vegetarians from going. I thought they tasted fine (the chips, not vegetarians) and they were quite moreish, complemented by the sachets of ketchup I had brought with me (the pots of ketchup at the shop were at decadent prices).

That’s Southwold beach in the background of the photo, it was a pleasant day and reasonably warm with not much breeze. Fortunately, there are lots of benches along the seafront as many other visitors were enjoying fish and chips, and some had acquired beer from the pub. All rather lovely.