I paid £18 for cod and chips in an iconic seaside town (Image: Mark Taylor)
There was an outpouring of sadness when a well-known seafront chippy in an iconic British seaside town closed down suddenly after more than 20 years.
But it was quickly followed by the good news that former Michelin-starred chef Josh Eggleton had snapped up the site and he reopened it as one of his Salt and Malt restaurant and takeaways within a matter of weeks.
And it seems to have been a hit with the locals in Weston-super-Mare straight away — by 6pm on the sunny summer Saturday I visited there was a queue for tables in the restaurant and an even bigger one waiting for takeaways.
With its blue-tiled frontage, black and white ‘chessboard’ floor tiles and ribbed glass partitions between booths, this shiny new Salt and Malt looks similar to existing branches and you get a sense that Eggleton is now gearing up to open in other seaside locations.
And let’s hope so because this upmarket fish and chip concept is crying out to be rolled out further.
Salt & Malt restaurant and takeaway on the seafront at Weston-super-Mare (Image: Mark Taylor)
With its sustainable North Atlantic fish, gluten-free chips and daily specials (it was Cornish Mounts Bay sardines with toasted sourdough, salad and pickles on this visit), it’s a ‘posh’ chippy but Eggleton has been careful not to price seaside visitors out of the market.
The takeaway prices aren’t too far off what most seafront chippies are charging – small cod and chips is £12.50, battered sausages are £2.40 and the kids’ meals are £7, chips in a cone at £2 and a large chip box for £5.60.
In the restaurant, prices are more of course, with battered haddock and chips with buttered crushed garden peas for £19 and homemade fishcake with cod, haddock, lemon, dill and parsley for £14.50.
The kids’ menu (for ages 16 and under) in the restaurant is only £7.50 with options including battered fish, sausage, chicken chunks, scampi and halloumi, all served with chips and choice of peas, baked beans, carrots or cucumber.
But it’s the little twists and alternatives that puts Salt and Malt in a different league to other seaside town chippies.
As well as gluten-free batter as standard, you can have your cod or haddock baked in garlic butter rather than battered if you prefer – a healthier option, perhaps, for those craving a ‘beach body’ this summer.
For those diners not too bothered about such things, there are also free chip refills, although portions are generous enough not to need that.
We tried the cod and chips (£18) and the curried cod burger (£16.50) and both were hard to fault.
The cod was encased in crisp, golden batter, the large flakes of fish moist and juicy within, with a generous heap of buttery crushed peas.
OK, £18 might be more than average for a plate of fish and chips, but it was a top quality version of the British seaside classic and worth it.
Served in a soft brioche bun, the curried cod burger was a large piece of lightly battered fish with a gentle curry sauce flavour, tartare sauce, coleslaw and pickled red cabbage. The chips were greaseless, crisp on the edges and fluffy inside.
It was essentially a dish that encapsulated the best bits of a seaside chippy – fish and chips, bread roll, curry sauce and burger accompaniments – and was bordering on genius. If I had to sum it up in two words, they would be “top drawer”. Chippy classics with a sea view — what more do you want from a day at the British seaside?
