Salt and vinegar? Brown sauce or ketchup? Mushy peas?
We could spend all day debating our own ideas of what makes for a perfect takeaway treat or we could agree on one universal truth: Glasgow appreciates a good chippy.
In celebration of National Fish and Chips Day, we caught up with the team at Catch on Gibson Street, recently listed as one of the best in the UK, to find out what makes their restaurant the plaice to be.
Owner Giancarlo Celino said: “First and foremost it’s the quality of our fish.
“We pay a little extra to know that it’s as fresh as possible and use a secret recipe for our batter which is made from scratch every single day.
“That makes a huge difference.”
It’s not surprising that sustainably sourced haddock is the foundation of a promising order but to be the best of the best there’s no skimping on the sides either.
From painstakingly hand-picked spuds to lemons with just the right spritz of citrus sourced all the way from the Amalfi coast, the team at Catch continuously look for ways to push the boat out.
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Giancarlo said: “We work very carefully with a farm in England to source our potatoes.
“They go through various tests to make sure there’s not too much sugar or starch and then they’re fried in a high-grade oil rather than animal fat.
“Our capers come from Italy because they’re slightly sweeter and we’ll soon source our lemon from there too because the quality is superior to anything you’ll find in the UK.
“We really try to put quality at the forefront of the business in everything that we do.”
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Giancarlo speaks passionately about even the smallest additions to the menu at Catch, but if you’re still unsure of what to indulge in when you visit he feels there’s no beating a classic.
He said: “We have a lot of different things from king prawns to tacos but if I was asked for a recommendation I would go for the traditional fish and chips.
“You can’t get any better than that.
“In my opinion, the best fish on the planet comes from Scottish waters and it’s up to us to translate that to our customers.
“Once you try a really good fish and chips you realise what an excellent meal it can be.”
A mystery diner judging the top ten fish and chip restaurants in the UK this year was certainly shown what an excellent meal a humble chippy can be hailing their meal at Catch as “the best battered fish I have ever eaten”.
Overjoyed to have earned a top spot, Giancarlo says it’s all down to his hard-working team who are looking forward to what the future holds for Catch.
He said “Our Giffnock shop received the accolade a few years back so it's great to have maintained that level of service.
“We have a very strong team with some people who have worked with us for almost eight years.”
“Planning permission for our fourth location, which will be twice the size of our Giffnock shop, is in the works as we speak.
“We’re absolutely delighted to be in and amongst the best in Scotland.”
We’ll take ours with extra tartare sauce, if you’re offering.
For more information on Catch click here.
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