I really can't explain this but it turns my pre held views on their head. I can't reconcile how it is that a fish and chip mobile van can serve up better quality battered fish than our city's 'proper' fish and chip shops - but I've tested this out in recent weeks and time and again they produce far better quality food but it's relative.
I quite literally have the frying equipment at home that these vans have. Fish & chip shops however have the large, deep, stainless steel industrial fryers that have more space in the warming trays to keep cooked food hot at the top part of these fryers.
So here it is. The quality of fish in Newry's fish and chip shops is total rubbish. Period. Forget it. They are crap. I can think of six places in the area where the fish is thin and the batter thick and greasy. Chips too are no better than alright.
It's shameful really when you consider the quality of fresh fish and potatoes on this Island is truly world class and there's no technical skill needed to make a thin batter with two basic ingredients - water and flour and there's no cooking skill in setting a temperature to part cook (blanch) chips them fry a second time at a higher temperature.
So Newry fish & chip shops shamelessly serve up a years supply of cholesterol in a bag. To add insult to injury they charge central London prices so we are ripped off for very poor quality food.
This particular mobile is situated in a garage forecourt on the outskirts of Poyntzpass village about 12 miles from Newry city.
We got one portion cod and chips (£7.4). The portions were generous, with the cod beautifully fresh and thick. The batter was fairly light (it could be even lighter) and the chips were fairly good but not great.
I say it again. If you live around Newry and want great fish and chips then it's 20 mile away in Kilkeel as Warrenpoint chip shops are as poor as Newry. If I was really stuck and couldn't get to Kilkeel I'd go back to the Poyntzpass mobile van but Kilkeel has it - and it's very, very, very far ahead. John Dory on the outskirts of Lisburn as you come from Sprucefield is a fall back
So anyone who wants a great business idea all you have to do is produce fish & chips similar to Kilkeel K's PitStop or the mobile vans at the harbour and they will have a very successful lucrative business. read more