Your business is as good as your last portion of fish and chips,” according to Marcus French – and his are clearly pretty good. Up to 1,000 portions of haddock, cod and some plaice and chips are served at the height of the season at the quayside restaurant. The secret behind North Norfolk’s best known chippie is consistency. Marcus has worked with the same potato producer, Fakenham distributor Lamberts, for three generations.
Now Frenchs are asking local people to vote for them in the National Chip Week – from 20th February – 26th February 2012. Frenchs will take part and their shop, along with lots of others will be in the Sun newspaper, with the chance to vote and offering for people to win chips can during the week.
Customers who have enjoyed munching chips on the quay at Wells-next-the-Sea can vote for Frenchs at http://www.chips.lovepotatoes.co.uk/vote/chip-shops/vote?id=487
“Fried fish and chips are one of the truly great British inventions,” said Marcus. High in nutrition and low in fat, the dish’s popularity has endured since around 1860, when the Polish /Jewish tradition of frying fish in batter was married with the American and French habit of creating chipped potatoes. Marcus has continually developed the business his grandfather, the town’s 13th fish monger, set up in 1920.
“We have many regular Fakenham customers,” he said. They come for the views of the harbour and often sit in the same places on the harbour wall as their grandparents, did many years ago.”