But if you've ever wondered how to get the perfect golden fried fish and crispy chips, then one Scottish chippy owner has shared her secret.
Sarah Heward, owner of The Real Food Café in Tyndrum, has shared her secret for creating the perfect fish supper - and it's all about attention to detail.
Regularly featured in ‘Best Of’ lists as one of Scotland’s favourite chippies, and a seven times winner in the National Fish & Chip Awards, The Real Food Café’ is known for its quality, care and sustainability.
It’s also famed for its gluten-free fish and chips, with some customers making a 500-mile round trip to enjoy them, a testament to the restaurant’s iconic status as one of the go-to places for an exceptional fish supper and its inclusive menu.
Here’s what Sarah says makes the ultimate fish and chips.
“Fish and chips might sound simple, but making a truly outstanding chippy is anything but. It’s all about layers of detail. The Real Food Café only uses MSC-certified, sustainably sourced fish.
"Once prepped and portioned, it’s carefully layered in a Fish Fridge, no more than two or three fillets deep, ready for frying.
“Our signature light, golden batter is made with chilled water. The cold temperature causes the wheat proteins to expand, and when the batter hits the hot oil, it explodes, creating that crisp, airy texture you want – nobody likes a soggy fish and chips!
"We also use a specialised batter-whisking machine to keep the consistency just right.
“But the chips matter just as much. Ours are made fresh daily, sometimes up to a quarter of a tonne.
"When the tatties arrive, we test them for sugar content because too much sugar means chips that fry too dark. We rumble 25kg of potatoes at a time, eye them by hand and chip them in a machine that can process a full sack in about 20 seconds.
“Cooking times are constantly adjusted throughout the year for variations in potato and wheat crops. Once it’s all cooked, we finish with the final secret ingredients: salt, vinegar, and a generous serving of love.”
The Real Food Cafe in Tyndrum has been going strong as one of the best places to stop for a bite to eat for almost 20 years and it all came about after Ms Heward took over the site after chancing upon an advert for the then-derelict premises while working in the City.
She and her husband decided to snap up the former Little Chef and move up north, seeking a better work-life balance and feeling that they could “do something better than the previous occupiers”.
After a “very rudimentary patch-up job”, including filling the holes in the roof, the cafe opened its doors for the first time in April 2005, timed to capitalise on the key summer trading period.
“We did that, and that was really the start of the journey [but] over the years there’s been a huge number of challenges, both personal and professional.” These include the sudden death of her husband, who had planned to work as a consultant in Aberdeen in the oil industry when they moved to Scotland but took an active role in the café.
But she persisted, and the business, which benefits from its location on the West Highland Way, started picking up awards including for their fish and chips.
