National Fish and Chips Day

With so many coastal locations near Forest Glade, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to this delicious, traditional seaside treat. Do you take yours with salt and vinegar? A bit of ketchup? Or the more off-piste curry sauce? However you enjoy it, make sure you go to somewhere where they cook the food from fresh and, really, you need to sample it in the open air and, best of all, right by the sea.

If you’re after a quick takeaway fishy fix while staying with us, look no further than Marshalls fish bar in Cullompton. Marshalls continues to get rave reviews from locals and visitors alike. Andrew Marshall started as a 14 year old boy peeling spuds and went on to run his own chippy business. We’ve always found their food to be cooked fresh, with large portions and friendly service. They also offer a gluten free Thursday which, according to this review, uses a dedicated fryer suitable for coeliacs. The Fry Station in Willand also receives great reviews.

Greendale Farm Shop on the Exeter to Sidmouth road has an excellent reputation. Their menu includes a wider range of fish than your regular chippy including, bass, hake, gurnard and even scallops! They serve fish from their own boats and chips from their own potatoes. You can’t get fresher than that and you can even order on their app. They have gluten-free fish and chips every Monday. They also have a wonderful fish counter with a wide array of locally caught fish and seafood.

The award winning Darts Farm in Topsham also serve locally caught fresh, seasonal fish caught by local fishermen. You can request theirs cooked in the traditional batter or grilled as a healthy and tasty alternative.

Photo by Seb Reivers on Unsplash

The River Exe Cafe is an unusual, seasonal floating restaurant, moored out in the middle of the river itself. Accessible by water only, you can get there by taxi from Exmouth marina, but it’s essential to make a booking before you go.

Back on dry land, Rockfish is located next to the town slipway, overlooking the beautiful Exe Estuary. It’s part of a small chain of local seafood restaurants serving dishes that change daily, depending on the most recently landed catch.

If you’d like to sample your fish and chips with the briny smell of the sea in the air and a little wooden fork in your hand, then you can’t do better than head over to one of our nearby beaches. Not far from the Esplanade in Sidmouth you’ll find the White Horse Café in Old Fore Street;  Krispies in Exmouth even batter the chips in order to live up to their name and at Budleigh Fish and Chips, they give you a buzzer so that you can have a quick pint in the pub across the road while you wait for your order to be prepared! They do get very busy in peak times so we’d recommend ordering ahead. Grab your hot meal and sit on one of the seafront benches to admire the view. Just keep half an eye out for those seagulls!

If you fancy actually going out and catching some fish for yourself, you can’t do better than heading to Beer or Branscombe, where a mackerel fishing trip makes a great family activity. Enjoy the beautiful East Devon coastline from the water and perhaps return with some fresh mackerel for the barbecue.

We’d also highly recommend Sidmouth Trawlers, who are just at the end of the Esplanade in Sidmouth, where you can buy lovely fresh fish if you want to ‘do it yourself’.  Their crab sandwiches and fish baps are delicious in high season.

You’re spoilt for choice for fish and chips in Devon. Don’t forget to let us know which is your favourite!