We have no shortage of excellent award-winning chippies in Leeds.
Recently, three of the city's fish and chip restaurants were nominated for the National Fish and Chip Awards 2023. Just 40 establishments made the shortlist across the whole country.
One of those excellent chippies was The Bearded Sailor in Pudsey - which made the top 10 for best fish and chip takeaways at the awards. Judges look for great customer service, a good knowledge of the industry, and sustainable practices as well as great food.
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I ordered from The Bearded Sailor to see if it was as good as the accolades promised. First point in its favour - its astoundingly easy to order from their website, which asks you to choose a timeslot to go and pick up your order.
I arrived on the dot at 6.30pm, the time I selected, and my food was ready exactly on time. It was hot as I took it to the car and that heat survived the 15 minute drive home.
It was Monday, but clearly several people were also spending their night with fish and chips from The Bearded Sailor. The kitchen was in full action when I arrived and there was obviously demand.
I ordered a regular fish and chips (haddock), with some scraps, battered halloumi slices, and curry sauce. It cost me just £13.90 for all that, which I thought was fairly decent (and definitely filling enough).
The fish crunched promisingly as I cut through the batter, which was beautifully crispy, especially with the generous scraps. Inside, the fish was warm, soft and flaky - the perfect contrast.
The chips were fat and soft< and the order came with extra vinegar for them if that's what you like. They were best drenched in the classic chip shop curry sauce - which again, I thought to be a generous helping given I'd ordered the smaller portion of it.
The batter on the halloumi was of similarly excellent crispiness, but instead gave way to the salty cheese I had been hoping for. Again, they are not skimping on the size of these - you get two fairly big hunks of halloumi.
All in all, the food was great, ordering online was very easy, and the service was fantastic - I can see why The Bearded Sailor was included up there in the top 10 at the National Fish and Chip awards. I just wish it was closer so I had an excuse to go there more often.
The bill
- Regular fish and chips with scraps - £9
- Battered halloumi slices - £3.50
- Regular curry sauce - £1.40
Total: £13.90
To find out the latest food and drink news from our city you can visit our Best in Leeds homepage. There you will also find a guide to great things to do in Leeds.
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