Nestled on a cobbled street in a market town is a chippy that has been serving fish and chips for more than a century.
Fryers have been battering fish in the café since 1904 and despite changing hands, and names, over the years, the chip shop is still dishing out the typically British food staple.
Currently called Stafford’s Fish and Chips, the owner of the Burscough Street venue has said that they hope to carry on the tradition for many years to come.
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The ECHO paid a visit to see if it really does live up to its reputation. We visited on a chilly but bright April afternoon and found it on the charming street filled with other independent businesses.
Even the walk to the quaint chippy, through Ormskirk’s characteristic mystic mews, made the experience feel old-timey. This nostalgia was a theme that would continue throughout my dinner, as the chip shop has kept many old fashioned practices.
As we entered we were met by smiles and asked if we wished to eat in or takeaway. From the front, it looks similar to many other similar venues but in the back it resembles more of a café, with tables and seating.
I asked to take a look at the menu and was told there wasn’t one. Thankfully I wasn’t expected to scan another bar code to access the menu, instead our server said we didn’t need one.
“We’ve got fish and chips, sausage, and pie, but only meat and potato left, we’ve sold off steak and kidney and fish cakes.”
I opted for fish and chips with curry and peas. The meal was reminiscent of my childhood in Liverpool, with even the curry being a fruity curry, rather than the Chinese-style curry most chip shops in the region serve nowadays.
The fish was lightly battered, crispy and not greasy. The chips were also just how I like them, browned but soft in the middle, with plenty of small crispy ones thrown in the mix.
Owner Darren Pugh, from Skelmersdale, took over the venue around a year ago. Darren, 37, told LancsLive at the time: "I was very close to my grandad, and he was Ormskirk born and bred. It’s been a chip shop since 1904, serving traditional fish and chips and we want to carry on doing exactly that."
He added: "I’m keeping something going which has been here for a long time; as long as I’m not losing money, I’m not too bothered, as long as I can pay my staff and serve good quality food.
"I’m proud to be taking the tradition forward; you get a lot of people coming in saying we are made up that this place is coming back, so I’m really proud to be taking over the town’s oldest chippy. It’s been practically an institution - there must be a lot of tales to tell within these walls, from long before I was born."
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