I do like to be beside the sea and have my ration of fish and chips, but my destiny seems to be to visit only fish restaurants as far from the sea as it’s possible to be.
Be that as it may, you won’t find me complaining.
Drumroll, please: the finalists in this year’s National Fish & Chip awards have been announced, revealing the top 10 fish and chip restaurants in the country. Miller’s Fish and Chips in Haxby, North Yorkshire are the best in the North East.
The restaurant will now be going head to head in January to compete for the coveted title of Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award 2017.
I had a lunch outing recently to Haxby, a delightful village suburb four miles north of York, all part of my relaxing into retirement.
Millers, run by Nick, and his dad David has been serving up tasty suppers for 51 years from The Village, Haxby. So off I went to try the Senior Special.
The business has recently undergone a complete refurbishment. Now the restaurant is fully licensed, has table service and free Wi-Fi.
It runs a popular bistro night on Thursday, with special fish dishes cooked by their chef including pan-fried trio of fish, and prawn and courgette linguini.
Another of the innovations that has also proved popular is gluten-free fish and chips.
This has seen people who have coeliac disease or suffer from certain food intolerances travel to Millers from across York and beyond.
So what’s the secret to the best fish and chips? Choosing the ingredients carefully, says Nick, getting the frying temperature right – and ensuring the batter is consistently excellent.
Good service is important too. There was a happy atmosphere, friendly staff and smiley faces.
The business has been in the family for years. It was Nick’s great grandfather Joe who began things.
His son Jim opened four fish and chip shops around York, including the one in Haxby in 1965.
Nick’s father David trained in a Michelin starred restaurant. He was a chef on luxury liner the QEII before joining the family business about 30 years ago.
And now with Nick involved, and the award nomination, the future looks bright for Millers.
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