The Great British Simpsons & Hirds Come Out on Top By Camille Allcroft Freelance Food and Drink Writer
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he industry was once again in the spotlight recently, when family – run Halifax fish & chip shop Hirds Family Fisheries were crowned joint winners of BBC television show, Britain’s Top Takeaways. Hirds Family Fisheries is located in Siddal, Halifax and they were one of five fish & chip shops to take part in the show – which was hosted by DJ Sara Cox and comedian Darren Harriot. They were up against Simpsons Fish & Chips, Cheltenham Tony’s Fish & Chips, Coatbridge The Posh Fish & Chip Company, Llandaff, Cardiff Chris’s Fish & Chips, Barwell Each episode of the show focused on a different takeaway food and the brief was to create a menu including main courses and side dishes. Adam and Amber devised an innovative menu for the show, cooking up dishes such as ‘chef’s classic posh fish butty’ (haddock
Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • June 2022
goujons in parsley and lemon batter), fishcake with Grimsby smoked haddock and chorizo (in panko breadcrumbs with homemade pesto mayonnaise), ‘dirty’ chips (with chorizo, pepperoni, mature cheddar, parsley and peri mayonnaise) and halloumi fries (made with local smoked Yorkshire Dama cheese, in panko breadcrumbs with harissa mayonnaise). Vegetarians and vegans were also in for a treat, with a vegan dish of homemade pie with shortcrust pastry, filled with chestnut mushrooms, potatoes and fresh rosemary and served with vegan gravy and chips. Each course was delivered to the ‘judges’, members of the public from the local area. Ultimately, Hirds Family Fisheries were awarded as winners of the fish & chips episode of the show, alongside Simpsons – Adam Hird commented “it was a huge honour for us to represent our industry on a television show and to be the only fish & chip shop in Yorkshire selected to take part. We put so much thought into our menus and we are constantly coming Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • June 2022
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