The mere mention of the quintessential British dish gets tongues wagging and the taste of it is cause for a chorus of 'mmmmms'. Fish and chips is the staple of British cuisine, and sometimes nothing can beat a good portion from a proper chippy.
But there are some offerings that don't quite stack up. Looking at all of the restaurants and takeaways labelled as fish and chip shops on TripAdvisor, the worst rated of all of those in the county with 10 or more reviews is Aspley Fish Bar on Nuthall Road.
It has an average rating of 2.5 out of 5, and of the 16 reviews, 5 rate it as 'excellent', and 11 rate it as 'terrible'. Negative comments include 'disgusting customer service', 'food is cold' and 'food was so greasy my baby had its first swimming lessons in it'.
But can it really be that bad? There's only one way to find out...
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Armed with my debit card and keeping an open mind of what to expect, I enter the shop. You're immediately hit with the unmistakable smell of fish and chips cooking away. But it's not just that that's on offer.
The staff were already preparing orders from Uber Eats and Just Eat, and fish and chicken were among what could be seen keeping warm. Although it's fish and chips we're here for, the menu is varied, where pizzas can be created, burgers can be bought from as little as £2 and kebabs can be bought from £2.75 in the shop.
A regular portion of fish and chips is £3.99, and a larger portion is £4.99. Pardon the pun, but it really is cheap as chips. However, it must be said that on their website, which can be ordered from, these prices are inflated, with a regular portion costing £6.50, and a large costing £7.50.
After taking in the rest of the menu, a regular portion is eventually ordered and paid for after the server has finished putting more chips into the fryer. A regular customer comes in and says hello to everyone, and gets served and is out with his food before me, although he ordered a kebab it must be said. During this time, I notice a good selection of drinks on offer in the fridge too.
My order is eventually ready and as is customary, I'm asked if I'd like salt and vinegar. Of course I say yes, and this is lathered on like proper chippys do. It's not wrapped up in paper, but is put into a takeaway box which says 'fish and chips' on it.
I'm presented with my chippy tea in a plastic bag, and head home thinking about if they can be really as bad as some people have said on TripAdvisor.
After a short drive home, the box is out, but it's noticeable the box has wet patches on it from where the grease of the fish and chips has seeped through. I open the box, and the fish and chips are presented how you'd expect them to be.
Not being able to resist before sitting down, I nick a chip to see what they're like. My personal preference is for chips to be a little bit crispy and well-cooked, but for me these are a little undercooked and a bit soggy. I'm not sure if it's from the vinegar, or how greasy they are.
I then move my fish onto the top of the box so I can cut it and try it out. There is a lot of batter on the regular fish, and this left even more grease marks on the box than the chips did.
But I have to say the fish was tasty. It was greasy, yes, but it was tasty. Being a fish and chip lover that couldn't resist, the entire portion was hoovered up quite quickly.
Considering the portion I had was just £3.99, it was not that bad at all, when you take into account what you get for what you pay for. However I would have much much less satisfied if I had ordered it for £6.50.
If that's the worst that Nottinghamshire has to offer, then I think it's safe to say we're spoiled for choice here. Speaking of which, I have to say I think I'll be sticking to my beloved Cod's Scallops though.
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