Fish and Chips in Bognor Regis

Seaside chippies and the Bognor tradition

Fish and chips and a seaside town go together like few other combinations in British life, and Bognor Regis has been serving battered cod and crispy chips to visitors and residents for well over a century. The seafront chippies are as much a part of the Bognor experience as the beach itself, and on a warm summer evening the smell of frying fish drifts along the promenade in a way that triggers nostalgia in anyone who has ever spent a holiday on the English coast.

The seafront and the streets immediately behind it have several fish and chip shops competing for trade. Some are traditional counter-service chippies where you queue, order and take your paper-wrapped parcel to eat on the sea wall or the beach. Others have sit-down restaurants attached where you can eat from a plate with a view of the sea. The choice between the two is largely a matter of temperament. The paper-wrapped version, eaten outdoors with salt and vinegar and the sound of waves, is the authentic experience. The sit-down version is warmer and more comfortable, particularly outside the summer months.

The quality of the fish matters, and the best Bognor chippies take it seriously. Fresh cod and haddock are the staples, with plaice and rock available at some places. The proximity to the Selsey fishing fleet means that genuinely fresh fish is available to those shops that choose to source it locally rather than from frozen suppliers. You can taste the difference, and the shops that use fresh fish tend to advertise the fact.

Chips are the other half of the equation, and opinions on what constitutes a proper chip are firmly held. The Bognor chippies generally serve thick-cut chips in the traditional British style, cooked in vegetable oil rather than the beef dripping that older residents remember from decades past. Mushy peas, curry sauce, pickled onions and gherkins are the standard accompaniments, and bread and butter on the side remains an option at the more traditional places.

Felpham has its own fish and chip shops that serve the village trade without requiring a trip to the seafront. These tend to be slightly quieter and less tourist-oriented, which some people prefer. The quality is comparable, and on a busy summer weekend when the seafront chippies have long queues, the Felpham alternatives are a sensible choice.

Prices have risen steadily over recent years, as they have everywhere. A standard cod and chips now costs more than many people would once have thought reasonable for what is, at heart, a simple dish. But the combination of fresh fish, hot chips and sea air remains one of the best value pleasures available on the English coast, and Bognor does it as well as anywhere.

The tradition has weathered changes in diet, fashion and economics over the decades, and it shows no sign of fading. New arrivals to the area quickly discover which chippie the locals rate most highly, and opinions on the subject are strongly held and freely shared. The fish and chip shop remains one of the defining institutions of the British seaside, and Bognor's chippies carry that tradition forward with salt, vinegar and a satisfying disregard for anything resembling a dietary trend.