0
Quote
THE most famous way of eating fish and chips – wrapped in newspaper – has returned to an Edinburgh restaurant after a practical joke by chef Tony Delicata.
A friend of Tony’s called in at the newly-opened family restaurant, The Yard, Leith in Bonnington Road, and ordered a meal of fish and chips. Joker Tony decided to serve up an added surprise, by wrapping it up like a takeaway fish supper – complete with a sheet of newspaper.
Tony said: “For a bit of fun we decided to wrap it up in paper, complete with old newspaper, like you would get it at the chip shop. We also took out a bottle of chippie brown sauce that we had.
“No sooner had I given it to my friend – to hoots of laughter – than a person at a nearby table asked if they could get it the same way. And then a few others did as well.
“We’ve since had people come in again asking for it that way, so we’re going to offer it this way – complete with the chip shop bottle of sauce for that authentic experience.”
It was such a success, the restaurant now offers the chippy-wrapped meal as standard – making it the only restaurant in Scotland serving the dish the traditional way.
For decades having a chippy meal wrapped in newspaper was an essential part of the Scottish chip shop experience. Customers would often read the newspaper wrapping as they walked home.
However, food hygiene laws mean fish and chip shops have been banned from using newsprint to wrap fish suppers and other food products for a number of years.
To overcome this, staff at The Yard have worked with Edinburgh City Council to find an acceptable solution – and the dish is only available as a sit-down meal, not as a takeaway.
Tony added: “We’re a very family-friendly restaurant and this also works well in entertaining the children who come in as they are sitting there wondering why they are being offered their food in a takeaway style when they are sitting down to dinner.
“They also wonder why a newspaper is around their chips. I’m waiting for someone to ask for the Beano for the children’s dish. Of course if someone wants it in a more traditional sit-down meal style then we’re more than happy to serve them that way as well.
Since opening in July, it’s not just been the fish and chips which have gone down a treat. The Yard has already established itself as a popular family restaurant, while the bar and restaurant are also building up a reputation as a popular local watering hole.
A friend of Tony’s called in at the newly-opened family restaurant, The Yard, Leith in Bonnington Road, and ordered a meal of fish and chips. Joker Tony decided to serve up an added surprise, by wrapping it up like a takeaway fish supper – complete with a sheet of newspaper.
Tony said: “For a bit of fun we decided to wrap it up in paper, complete with old newspaper, like you would get it at the chip shop. We also took out a bottle of chippie brown sauce that we had.
“No sooner had I given it to my friend – to hoots of laughter – than a person at a nearby table asked if they could get it the same way. And then a few others did as well.
“We’ve since had people come in again asking for it that way, so we’re going to offer it this way – complete with the chip shop bottle of sauce for that authentic experience.”
It was such a success, the restaurant now offers the chippy-wrapped meal as standard – making it the only restaurant in Scotland serving the dish the traditional way.
For decades having a chippy meal wrapped in newspaper was an essential part of the Scottish chip shop experience. Customers would often read the newspaper wrapping as they walked home.
However, food hygiene laws mean fish and chip shops have been banned from using newsprint to wrap fish suppers and other food products for a number of years.
To overcome this, staff at The Yard have worked with Edinburgh City Council to find an acceptable solution – and the dish is only available as a sit-down meal, not as a takeaway.
Tony added: “We’re a very family-friendly restaurant and this also works well in entertaining the children who come in as they are sitting there wondering why they are being offered their food in a takeaway style when they are sitting down to dinner.
“They also wonder why a newspaper is around their chips. I’m waiting for someone to ask for the Beano for the children’s dish. Of course if someone wants it in a more traditional sit-down meal style then we’re more than happy to serve them that way as well.
Since opening in July, it’s not just been the fish and chips which have gone down a treat. The Yard has already established itself as a popular family restaurant, while the bar and restaurant are also building up a reputation as a popular local watering hole.
