Chips cook up a storm

Love them or loathe them, orange chips are a Black Country tradition with fryers far and wide claiming to have founded them.

Since our story looking at the origin of orange chips in the area, we have been flooded with letters, emails and phonecalls from readers claiming to either know the creator or saying what makes them so great.

However, with shops in Willenhall, Bilston, Darlaston, Cradley Heath and Tipton all proclaiming their chips are the original and best, the chip war is well and truly on.

Lynton Mason, a Walsall magistrate, stakes a claim for his family's shop which was in Willenhall.

He said: "Orange chips were invented by my father Kenneth George Mason, who was born in Wednesfield Road in 1922.

"He was well-known among the people of Willenhall as 'the fish mon' and later when he married my mother, they set up their own business selling fish and chips in St Anne's Road. "My father decided he wanted to make his chips distinctly different to everyone else's to attract more trade, hence the development of the orange chip. This all took place during 1947-48.

"My brother, sister and myself were all born in that building – which no longer exists – but for years after and even up to now when speaking to those who can remember, his chips were renowned for their taste throughout the Midlands. Apparently on race nights the queues were greater at his chippy than at the dog track."

Mr Mason, aged 54 and from Cheslyn Hay, said that he and his mother May were guardians of the Mason's chip shop secret.

"Only two people in the world know the true secret recipe – my mother, who is 84, and myself," he said proudly.

Bernard Tudor, of Wombourne Park, Wombourne, emailed in to say: "Battered potatoes were a delicacy of the war years.

"Potatoes were sliced, floured, dipped in batter and deep-fried to help break the monotony of wartime fare. By cooking this way, the humble potato was uplifted in flavour and helped to make the bread of the day seem more enriched and palatable.

"The bits of batter that came off in the deep fryer where always scooped from the fat and put on your three penny worth of chips if you where lucky."

On our website, Nick posted: "Joe's Fish & Chips, in Cradley Heath, were doing orange chips way before anyone and they are by far the best around. I always had a bag on the way back from the speedway in the 1960s when his mom and dad ran the place."

Pep Albanese, who runs Pep's Plaice on Bridgnorth Road, Compton, said: "My brother Mark started doing battered chips 30 years ago and we are both still doing them at our shops today. They're the only chips I do and people tend to like them.

"But I wouldn't recommend any other chip shops start doing them if they are finding they get on okay with normal chips.

"You need to make sure the filters don't get blocked up by the batter and if you're not used to making them they can be quite messy."

Mr Albanese, aged 40, said he remembers orange chips from places like Major's in Bilston.

A reader logged on to our website as Blackcountryman Living In Kent added: "Battered chips were sold at a chippy called Danks's, in Owen Street, Tipton, when I was a kid some 40-odd years ago. I believe the shop was there well before me but now sadly gone."

Also on the website, James Cunnington said the best orange chips were made at the Chipton Fryer, Tipton, while John Hughes is backing the Black Country Chippy in Great Bridge.

But it's not just the recipe's origin that is splitting opinion, orange chips in general have divided the region.

Martin Davies posted on-line: "Ah, battered chips. One of the finest food groups around. We travel miles to a chippy that has them, rather than the chippy across the road with poor normal chips."

Orange chip fanatic Ash added: "You can't beat a nice bag of chips from the Black Country now and again. I love the ones from Carols, in Franchise Street, Wednesbury. They are great and I travel 40 miles from Rugby to have them."

Eighteen-year-olds Andrew Bryce, of Willenhall, and Chris Rafferty, of Wednesfield, are self-confessed orange chip lovers.

Andrew said: "Battered chips are ace and I usually have a bag two or three times a week on my way home from work."

Chris added: "This area is famous for its orange chips and I visit shops in both Willenhall and Wednesfield to get them."

Barry Ireson, aged 48, of Bilston, is also a fan, describing them as "a real Black Country staple."

Peter King and James Wilkinson, both aged 21 and from Tettenhall, also gave the local delicacy two thumbs up. Peter said: "Battered chips are the best, and, if done properly, are much better than regular ones."

But Paul Bentley added: "I hate them. We used to have a chip dinner at least two or three times a month, but with the rise of the orange chip, I'd say it's been nearly a year since I had chips at all. Bring back the normal chip."

Peter Poonian owner of Pete's Place, on the Vine Island, Fordhouses, called to say he made the best orange chips in the area and pulled in customers from as far as Shrewsbury. He said: "My shop has only been open for 20 weeks but I know we make the best battered chips around because we don't use any artificial colouring like the other shops.

"We had Steve Bull in here the other day and he's a big fan. Since we've opened all the other chippies in Fordhouses have started to make orange chips. We may not be the oldest but we're the best."

Earlier this month, the Express & Star featured St Anne's Road Fish Bar, in Willenhall; Major's, in Church Street, Bilston, and the Newbridge Fryer, in Newbridge Crescent, Tettenhall – all of which claimed to have the best orange chips in the region.