From Pavarotti to the BBQ

From Pavarotti to the BBQ (via the chippy)!

A Chippy Chat with Ben Bartlett and His Love of Fish and Chips

Many people will know Ben Bartlett as BBQ Ben, World Champion BBQ’er, but few will know of his passion for Fish and Chips. Yes, this BBQ master may know a lot about cooking over the coals, but his other passion is good ol’ Fish and Chips.

In the Begnning

Ben Bartlett grew up around food and always knew he would end up doing something with food. If it was not food it may have been Opera, yes Ben Bartlett is a man of many talents and is a trained opera singer. He always had a passion for healthy food and food that filled a person up. As a Bristol boy, fish and chips was always something he loved, he has done since he was a kid. Fish and Chips, he believes is the Nation’s Favourite fast food for many reasons.

Encouraging People to Eat Fish

For many years Ben Bartlett has been a Seafish Ambassador and has been encouraging the Great British Public to eat more fish. Educating people of the nutritional value of fish in the diet and being an avid supporter of the almost marginalised UK fishing industry, Ben knows his stuff when it comes to fish. “For a lot of people, the local chippy is the only time they eat fish and the only place they will buy fish from, the fact the fish is covered in batter and then deep-fried is not wrong. As long as fish is eaten it is a good thing” he adds knowing just how big a part of British life the local Fish and Chip shop is.

Award Winning Fish and Chips

Throughout his culinary career Ben has won awards and supported many food related competitions throughout the UK. On talking to him about these he says his favourite competition of all is the National Fish and Chip Shop of the Year awards. These awards demonstrate the high standards of the industry, the chance of free publicity, feedback from seasoned friers and food experts and allow a shop to benchmark themselves with their competition. “I like this for a few reasons” he explains, “Firstly, I get to taste some of the best fish and chips in the country and secondly I get to meet some amazing people who not only play a big part in communities throughout the UK but have their own secrets to cooking the perfect serving of Fish and Chips”.

There are many reasons behind this award not happening this year, but Ben has suggested he would be more than happy to work with someone commercially and make this competition incredibly special. “Fish and Chips needs to be celebrated, and the fact that shops have had to adapt with changing Covid guidelines should not go unrecognised” he says “and there is always so much competition between Chippies to become Britain’s number one. Right now, Britain could do with some cheering up so why not do it with Fish and Chips”.

www.bbqben.co.uk