We’ve rounded up your local options so you don’t have to go without your favourite battered treats during lockdown.
As the social distancing restrictions continue, we’re all becoming accustomed to life indoors without trips to our favourite restaurants, cafes and takeaways.
But despite a lot of us using this time to brush up on our cooking and baking, on some nights a home-made meal just doesn’t cut the mustard.
According to Reboot online marketing agency, the Google search term “fish and chips near me” has gone up by 2,500 per cent in the UK since the lockdown began, as hungry households look for their fix of battered goodness.
In the north of Scotland, Tayside and Fife, a number of fish and chip shops have responded to the demand by setting up online and phone deliveries to homes in their local area.
One of them is The Steeple Fish Bar, which has branches in Dundee and Angus, and has managed to retain around 50% of their trade through stepping up their delivery service.
Manager Cathy Harper said: “We are busy with online and phone orders, we did these before the lockdown too, but that side of the business was only around 15-20% and now it’s the only thing we can do.
“We don’t have as many customers as before, when we had footfall – I’d say our business is down by around 50% but it’s enough to keep us afloat for now.
“All our branches in Broughty Ferry, Kirriermuir and Arbroath are equally affected but advertising through Facebook has helped.
“Fish and chips is obviously the most popular choice, but people are also ordering a lot of pizzas and sausages. People are just happy to be able to get a takeaway delivered in the current situation, and we’re happy to be able to stay open as our staff want to work.
“We’ve got 20 staff across our branches and we’ve hired one additional delivery driver, so now we have two. We don’t know what our future holds if lockdown continues beyond the next three weeks but we’ll take each week as it comes.”
Meanwhile Cromar’s in St Andrews has started doing phone orders for the first time, delivering to people’s homes and also allowing customers to collect food from a designated spot in the Union Street shop.
Owner Wendy Napthine said: “We closed both the takeaway and sit-in part of our business a week before lockdown was announced and decided to focus on deliveries, which we’ve never done before.
“I furloughed the staff apart from two people who are siblings. We take it in turn to work – it’s them and me and my daughter, and by working different shifts we ensure there’s no mixing of staff from different households.
“We take orders and payments over the phone and a lot of people collect their food when they pass us on their daily walk, so it’s all contactless. We also deliver through Deliveroo and Eco Eats. Our truffle and parmesan chips have been especially popular.
“Once lockdown is lifted we won’t go back to normal straight away, perhaps we’ll look at re-opening the takeaway with a certain number of customers allowed in at any one time. It’s hard to foresee the future but we’ve been very well supported so far.”
If you’re feeling peckish, to help you find out what’s available we’ve rounded up 10 takeaways delivering fish and chips who are open for (remote) business.
The Bay, Stonehaven
This award-winning fish and chip shop, located on Beach Road, has been ranked as one of the world’s top food experiences by the Lonely Planet Guide. The business has won a long string of awards, most recently being honoured at the North East Scotland Food and Drink Awards 2017 and the Innovation Awards 2016 at the Grampian Food Forum.
Lows Traditional Fish and Chips, Aberdeen and Westhill
Located in Westhill Shopping Centre, with a recently-opened second branch in Berryden Business Park, Lows was established 30 years ago and prides itself on serving local produce – all their fish is caught from the north sea. They also insist on responsible fishing, receiving accreditation by the sustainability body Marine Stewardship Council in 2017.
Mike’s Famous Fish and Chips, Aberdeen
One of the oldest chippers in the area, Mike’s Famous Fish and Chips opened in 1978 and has been serving up locally-sourced food ever since. Some of the highlights include North Sea Haddock, butcher puddings and bakery pies.
Mr Chips, Inverness
Located on Telford Street, this cheap and cheerful takeaway is offering a limited menu during the lockdown including haddock and sausage suppers and chicken nuggets via JustEat.
The Steeple Fish Bar, Dundee and Angus
A popular takeaway with its main branch in the Broughty Ferry area of Dundee, The Steeple also has premises in Kirriemuir and Arbroath. They have been doing home deliveries in the Dundee and Angus areas through Just Eat for a number of years, with the service becoming even more sought-after during the lockdown.
Tay Fry Inn, Dundee
Located in the popular student area of Perth Road, the Tay Fry Inn is delivering food via Just Eat within Dundee. Their menu includes standard fish and chips variations, as well as chicken dishes, haggis puddings, mince and steak pies and deep-fried pizzas.
Cromar’s, St Andrews
Established in 2013, Cromar’s on the normally busy Union Street was both an upmarket takeaway and a sit-in restaurant before the lockdown forced it to switch to deliveries and contactless collections only. Serving chip-shop classics with a gourmet twist, such as truffle and parmesan chips and Cajun-grilled haddock, the business has a regular clientele and is continuing to be a popular choice during lockdown.
Paul’s Fish Bar, Kirckaldy and Glenrothes
Another well-established local business, Paul’s has been serving customers for 33 years in Kirckaldy’s South Row and South Street in Glenrothes. Regular customers also visit from further afield, including from Dunfermline and Cardrenden. As well as fish and chips, Paul’s offers a wide variety of chicken and pizza dishes.
Blue Lagoon, Perth
A Scottish chain of fish and chip shops, Blue Lagoon first opened in Glasgow in 1975 headed by the Varese family and now has branches all over the country, including in Perth and Stirling. For those with special dietary requirements, there is a gluten-free and a halal menu.
Central Fish and Chips, Perth
Located in Tulloch Terrace, Central Fish and Chips also delivers to some of Perth’s surrounding areas such as Luncarty and Almondbank. They offer a varied menu of traditional fish and chips, burgers, kebabs, omelettes and pasta dishes including halal options.
