Fish, chips and salty lips

Whatever happened to the original "English ( Italian, Greek, Cypriot etc.)" chippy? The sort of chippy that sold fish, fishcakes, assorted pies and chips, the only flavorings being salt & vinegar. Today it seems lots of chippies use cooking utensils that have been used to cook Chinese or other meals, to cook regular English dishes. Sausage dinners or mixed grills with a hint of five spices is a definite appetite loser for me. I do enjoy Chinese meals but I also expect our traditional food to taste right.
Moaning and groaning,
Chas :snf (41):

Like the Bengal Tiger they're becoming extinct, Chas. There is Byrne's, corner of Stuart Rd and Bedford Road, Walton or one at the corner of Burlington street and Vauxhall Road.

But other than those two I couldn't name another traditional English chippy. Having said that, I'm sure there'll be an avalanche of chippy locations on the way.

I think Giannelli's has closed.:shock:

Thanks for pointing out some chippies, Oddsocks, I agree there'll be lots of pizza/ kebab type chippies around. In the Anfield area there used to be a chippy called Georges on Priory Road. He did all the normal English foods and also had chippy curry and chop suey rolls. That's as far as his menu went but he's sold up and retired. The chippy now is the usual Chinese with a multitude of menus.
Oh well,
Chas :PDT11

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Originally Posted by chasevans

Thanks for pointing out some chippies, Oddsocks, I agree there'll be lots of pizza/ kebab type chippies around. In the Anfield area there used to be a chippy called Georges on Priory Road. He did all the normal English foods and also had chippy curry and chop suey rolls. That's as far as his menu went but he's sold up and retired. The chippy now is the usual Chinese with a multitude of menus.
Oh well,
Chas :PDT11

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Yes, I know George's. I remember him and his wife well, a nice quiet couple. The chips were lovely and really good fish.
The new place with the thousands on the menu - I've never bothered with it. Like you, I find these multiple dishes mostly bland pap.

I've never seen an Italian chip shop. They must have been just around one area (unless I'm wrong), but I never saw one in my surrounding districts, ie, Anfield, Walton, Tuebrook. I didn't even know Italians did chips until I read about Gianellis on this forum ! :)

There still seems to be plenty of Greek chippies about. There is a chip shop on Townsend Lane run by Cypriots, and also the Greek family who have been in Anfield for years have 2 shops - - one on Breck rd (near Belmont rd), and their other shop is down by the Farmers Arms, Townsend Lane.

Hi Lindylou,
I recall Liverpool footballer Sammy Lee going in Georges for a team order at midday. There was a European match at Anfield, don't know which side the order was for. Georges was a great chippy.
The Cypriot? chippy is the International and the fish & chips are usually good. The Greek chippy near Belmont Road was always excellent as was their Townsend Lane shop. I believe that one of the Greeks' sons has opened a chippy close to Anfield footy ground.
My main gripe still being English meals having a flavor of Chinese spices.
Regards,
Chas:nod:

When i was a child fish and chips were a very low priced item, nearly every family had fish and chips of a Friday. Our chip shop was Mitty's in Lodge Lane, the had a big coal fired range that required consrtant stoking. Friday tea time would see a queue stretching right outside the shop,alot of kids were there to get the family tea. Chips were threepence a bag and a cod cost sixpence. Mum and Dad had fish and my sisters and I would have fishcakes,a half crown would be more than enough to feed the family. Neats foot oil was used to do the frying,it was from a cow and gave the chips and batter a wonderful flavour. When you ordered a big meal the cook would give you a bag of batter bits to eat on the way home. Oh for those Friday nights, bellies full ,we'd go off to Pavilion and watch the show,
BrianD

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Originally Posted by chasevans

Hi Lindylou,
I recall Liverpool footballer Sammy Lee going in Georges for a team order at midday. There was a European match at Anfield, don't know which side the order was for. Georges was a great chippy.
The Cypriot? chippy is the International and the fish & chips are usually good. The Greek chippy near Belmont Road was always excellent as was their Townsend Lane shop. I believe that one of the Greeks' sons has opened a chippy close to Anfield footy ground.
My main gripe still being English meals having a flavor of Chinese spices.
Regards,
Chas:nod:

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Telling my mum about your post and she says George's wife was called Irene, and what a nice couple they were. One of them died and the other returned home where they came from originally.

The Greeks by Belmont rd - - are Steve and his wife (can't think of her name). Really nice people too. The wife was very nice - actually, I havn't seen her in a long time. We used to say they had the best fish :) Even now, we go to the one in Townsend by the Farmers because their food is nice, also you can get smaller portions if you don't like to eat too much.

The International - I say they are Cypriots, but not exactly sure ! I think they are tho' :)

Also, asked my mum about Italian chippies, and she says she hadn't heard of them either.

Good chippies lodge in the memory like a good cafe, bar, film or happy event. They stay with you.
One of the many jobs I've had was delivering parcels in Sutton Manor, St Helen's, a stone's throw from the colliery, the year was 1977.
Invariably I had completed all deliveries by 1.00pm and was ready for something to eat. Within the round was a small estate called Four Acre Lane and it had a chippy that must rank as good as George's on Priory Road.

The Fish was tender and flaky and the batter was golden brown and crisp. The chips were chunky and soft and the peas were as mushy as a Mills and Boon novel but had the effect of a Stephen King story on the digestive system. Need I say more.

Bring back the Chippy

On one visit back, I wanted a traditional chippie and some real curry'n'chips...

My sister sent me to a chippie that was just South of the Greenhills pub - it was Greek and Chinese too, but the English menu (and the food I tried) was reasonably traditional...

The loss of the local chippie probably reduces the workload on the local hospital heart ward though...:)

Last time I was in Liverpool I went to the chippy I used years ago. Bought a bag of chips and reminisced with the owner about the old days.

Eventually I asked about Michael, the owners cousin, who used to work there. At first he looked embarrassed - then told me what happened.

'I had to sack him'.

'Why?'

'I caught him with his dick in the potato peeler'.

(looking down at the chips I'd been enjoying, but was now going quickly off)
'What did you do with the potato peeler?'

'I sacked her as well'.

Boom boom!

Nice one, Kevin !!!:handclap:

Kevin,
You should be asamed of yourself................but ,it was funny.
Abourt 6 years ago I went back to that chip shop in Lodge Lane. The coal fired range had gone and it was now in Chinese hands, there were four of us and I got a bag full ,I told the owner that the last time I had been stood at that counter was 58 years ago. He translated hat I was saying to the rest of his family and gave me an extra portion. We drove down to Sefton Park and sat on the grass to have our lunch. It was terrible ! The chips were thick with grease and the fish looked like they had died of some awful disease. Never Look back!!
BrianD

It used to be the bacon slicer Kevin. That joke is nearly as old as you.

Italian chippies were predominantly in the Little Italy area, naturally. Podesta's was another one and some doubled up selling ice cream.

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Originally Posted by Ged

It used to be the bacon slicer Kevin. That joke is nearly as old as you.

Italian chippies were predominantly in the Little Italy area, naturally. Podesta's was another one and some doubled up selling ice cream.

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The joke is probably older than me Ged - just sharing it with the young 'uns.

Thanks, I appreciate that Kevin. Thanks for thinking of me :PDT11