We live in UK’s ‘unhealthiest seaside town’ with 21 takeaways within 5 mins – we have a warning for customers
ENGLAND’S fish and chip capital has 21 takeaways within a five-minute walk.
In total, the small Yorkshire seaside town of Bridlington boasts more than 30 chippies serving up freshly-battered cod and haddock - one for every 1,116 of its 35,000 residents.
But it's not only locals, tourists, celebrities and royals who adore the resort's fast food.
Shop owners have put up signs warning customers to be wary of dive-bombing psycho seagulls.
Louise Bonnett, 47, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, said: "I always have fish and chips when I come to Bridlington.
"I try and have them on the seafront but unfortunately seagulls love them too.
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"Some of the chippies have signs up warning people to be careful.
"I'm not surprised, they're probably the best chips they've ever tasted."
The Sun Online counted more than 20 fish and chip takeaways clustered together in just a half-mile stretch of the seafront.
But locals reckon some are far better than others.
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Lewis Harrison, 39, has been a customer for 20 years at The Trawl, where its owner has been frying fish since the 1960s.
He said: "People in Bridlington love their fish and chips - they can spot a bad chippy a mile off.
"This is best chip shop in town, without a question.
"It's old school. They've been doing it for years and haven't changed a thing because they know it works.
"I wouldn't go anywhere else for my fishcake. You've just got to be careful of the seagulls."
At Ship to Shore, directly overlooking the North Sea, fryer Debbie Smith, 49, said: "All the chip shop owners are trying to make a living but some are definitely better than others.
"We get people coming from all over the country for ours.
"The chap that owns this place is a fish merchant, so we get our fish straight out of Grimsby.
"There's no middleman which means we can sell it for a little bit less without compromising on quality.
"A regular fish and chips is £6.90 - but there's nothing regular about it. The portions are pretty huge."
Bridlington's chippies within a five-minute walk
- Ship to Shore
- Jack's Chippy
- North Bay
- Harbour View
- Salt on the Harbour
- Busy Bees
- The Trawlerman
- Papa's
- Ship to Shore (second shop)
- Sea View
- JC's Family Diner
- Allen's
- Brid Bay Fisheries
- Harbour Fisheries
- Audrey's
- Taste of the Sea
- Pier 6 fisheries
- Deep Blue
- Jerome's
- Oh My Cod Kerry's Plaice
- Busy Bees (second shop)
- The Trawl
Sky Howard, 24, who picked up a small fish and chips for £4.80, raved: "You can't argue with fish and chips for less than a fiver.
"I used to work here so I know how good it is. The fish is so fresh and the chips are cooked to perfection.
"The seagulls are annoying. If you're not careful, they'll swoop down and take your food and there's not a lot you can do about it."
Bridlington, nestled between Scarborough and Hull, has been an unlikely hit with A-listers.
Chefs Gordon Ramsay and Nigella Lawson have sampled the town's legendary offerings - while Queen Consort Camilla, Boris Johnson and food critic Jay Rayner have heaped praise.
Rayner said of Fish and Chips at 149: "I once spent a terrific day there learning the ropes as a fryer, shortly after it had been named the best fish and chip shop in Britain.
"The shop is located in town, but my main memory, after a day’s hard graft, was taking my paper-wrapped package down to the Bridlington seafront and eating it while staring out at the waters. Bliss."
Wayne McCoid owns two chip shops in Bridlington - JC's Family Diner and Café, and the Sea View takeaway.
He said on a decent day, they get through 500 fillets of fish "without blinking".
"We get the local trade but we also get tourists who come back again and again," the 48-year-old added.
"The rising cost of everything is something we're having to deal with.
"Even the cost of the ketchup sachets has gone up - but we're doing ok.
"I think if you've got a quality product and aren't cutting corners, people will keep coming back.
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"There are some places which struggle because there is so much competition.
"I've got a really good supplier so I know the fish we get here is top quality."
