A staple of Great British cuisine, the decadent chippy tea remains a firm favourite in households up and down the country.
Food box delivery service, HelloFresh, conducted a survey to find out exactly what Brits are having on their chippy tea.
The survey revealed that tomato ketchup was the most popular sauce with almost a third (31%) opting to to accompany their fish and chips with it, while 29% said the chip shop classic of curry sauce and 28% for mushy peas.
Shockingly, 1 in 12 (8%) admitted to having barbeque sauce on chippy chips while 1 in 20 (5%) preferred a Greek twist on their Friday favourite with tzatziki!
The UK’s top 10 sauces for a chippy tea
| Sauce / topping | % |
| Tomato ketchup | 31% |
| Curry sauce | 29% |
| Mushy peas | 28% |
| Mayonnaise | 23% |
| Gravy | 16% |
| Tartar sauce | 15% |
| Cheese | 14% |
| Chippy sauce | 10% |
| HP / brown sauce | 10% |
| Garlic sauce | 9% |
As well as exploring what sauces Brits most enjoyed on their fish and chips, the survey revealed the side dishes that we can’t live without.
1 in 5 (21%) of us enjoy bread and butter with our fish and chips showing that the illustrious chip butty is going nowhere. The data also showed that chip shop staples like pineapple fritters (13%), pickled eggs (10%) and pickled onions (17%) are still much beloved by Brits!
The UK’s favourite fish and chip side dishes by popularity
| Side dish | % |
| Bread and butter | 21% |
| Sausage | 18% |
| Pickled onions | 17% |
| Onion rings | 17% |
| Lemon wedge | 16% |
| Beans | 16% |
| Pie | 16% |
| Coleslaw | 14% |
| Pineapple fritter | 13% |
| Pickled eggs | 10% |
The survey also breaks down the UK’s favourite sauces and sides by cities. Curry sauce was most loved by cities including Bristol, Leeds and Liverpool while Cardiff, Manchester and Newcastle opted for mushy peas.
Regionally, those in Edinburgh revealed that coleslaw was their favourite side to enjoy with their fish and chips while Londoners prefer a sausage.
HelloFresh’s Senior Recipe Development Manager, Mimi Morley, commented:
“It’s fascinating to see the different sides and sauces that we love to enjoy with a fish and chip feast! While traditional options like curry sauce, pickled onions and mushy peas still remain hugely popular, we were surprised to see more unusual choices like coleslaw, tzatziki and green beans made an appearance in our survey.
Whatever way you prefer your chippy tea, what better way to celebrate Fish and Chip day than with a fresh catch from your local chip shop. However, if you’re looking for a more balanced option or just fancy giving it a go at home then I’d definitely recommend this ultimate fish and chip recipe.”
For easy seafood recipes, fish and chip inspiration and tips on following a pescatarian diet visit the HelloFresh website.
