National Fish & Chips Day: Is This British Staple at Risk of Extinction?
National fish and chip day is tomorrow (June 6th) and although it is very much still associated with being a British staple dish, and must try for tourists, a recent study has revealed that residents of the UK are falling out of love with the dish.
The study by mobile and tech retailer Currys surveyed 2,000 UK residents to discover the nation’s favourite takeaway food. And with over half (51%) putting it in their top three, Chinese takeaway was the clear winner.
Second favourite was pizza (such as Domino’s or Pizza Hut) with 44% putting it in their top three. But in third place comes the classic British staple, fish and chips, which was a favourite for only 37%.
However, this ruling varies by age group. The same study showed that the popularity of fish and chips decreases with each generation. It was most popular with the post-war generation (those aged 80 – 97) of which 6 in 10 put this Friday night must have in their top three take away choices. But, at the other end, only 30% of Gen-Z said the same, with the number decreasing steadily through each generation.
| Generation | % that put Fish and Chips in top three takeaways |
| Post War | 60% |
| Boomer | 46% |
| Gen X | 36% |
| Millennial | 35% |
| Gen Z | 30% |
Where is fish and chips most popular?
Although fish and chips didn’t make it to the top of any regions’ list, it did feature in the top three for some. In Scotland, South West England, and the East Midlands, fish and chips were voted the second favourite takeaway option overall.
In North East England, the West Midlands, South East England and Northern Ireland it came in third.
The places it was least popular was London, where only 27% of respondents put it in their top three, the North West, with 29% and Yorkshire and the Humber with 32%.
Top three takeaways in each UK region
| UK Region | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| North East (England | Pizza (e.g. Domino’s, Pizza Hut) | Chinese | Fish and Chips |
| London | Pizza (e.g. Domino’s, Pizza Hut) | Burgers/ American style takeaway (McDonalds, Burger King) | Chinese |
| Yorkshire And The Humber | Chinese | Pizza (e.g. Domino’s, Pizza Hut) | Indian |
| West Midlands (England) | Chinese | Pizza (e.g. Domino’s, Pizza Hut) | Fish and Chips |
| East Of England | Chinese | Pizza (e.g. Domino’s, Pizza Hut) | Burgers/ American style takeaway (McDonalds, Burger King) |
| South East (England) | Chinese | Pizza (e.g. Domino’s, Pizza Hut) | Fish and Chips |
| North West (England) | Chinese | Indian & Pizza (e.g. Domino’s, Pizza Hut) | Burgers/ American style takeaway (McDonalds, Burger King) |
| Scotland | Chinese | Fish and Chips | Pizza (e.g. Domino’s, Pizza Hut) |
| South West (England) | Chinese | Fish and Chips | Pizza (e.g. Domino’s, Pizza Hut) |
| East Midlands (England) | Chinese | Fish and Chips | Pizza (e.g. Domino’s, Pizza Hut) |
| Wales | Chinese | Indian | Pizza (e.g. Domino’s, Pizza Hut) |
| Northern Ireland | Chinese | Pizza (e.g. Domino’s, Pizza Hut) | Fish and Chips |
Is the calorie content putting Brits off of fish and chips?
Even though 74% of respondents said they don’t consider the calories when ordering a takeaway, a whopping 56% of Brits wish there were more healthy takeaway options near them.
The same survey also revealed that 52% are concerned about the healthiness of their current takeaway orders. Looking at some popular dishes from the chippie, it is easy to see how the calories begin to rack up.
A medium portion of fish and chips with a small side of mushy peas could equate to 1254 calories and 58.1g fat.
Average calories* (per portion) of popular Fish and Chip dishes
| Takeaway type | Popular dish | Serving Sizes | Kcal | Fat(g) |
| Fish and Chips | Chip Shop Chips | Medium portion (10oz) | 608 | 23.9 |
| Fish and Chips | Cod in Batter | Medium portion | 545 | 33.4 |
| Fish and Chips | Chicken & Mushroom Pie | Pie | 475 | 29.2 |
| Fish and Chips | Sausage in batter | Jumbo sausage (150g) | 463 | 36.1 |
| Fish and Chips | Sausage in batter | Sausage (115g) | 356 | 27.8 |
| Fish and Chips | Chip Shop Chips | Cone of chips | 321 | 12.6 |
| Fish and Chips | Saveloy sausage | Saveloy | 207 | 15.6 |
*Values taken from Nutracheck
You can find the full study here: https://www.currys.co.uk/techtalk/mobile/takeway-nation.html