SCOTTS, the fish and chip restaurant on the A64 near York, has opened a new branch in China.

The Scotts restaurant in Chengdu, capital of the southwestern province of Sichuan, is already proving a smash with locals craving a portion of Britain’s favourite dish.

The restaurant is the result of a collaboration between Scotts owner Tony Webster and a consortium of Chinese businessmen, led by Jimmy Yu.

Since Chinese President Xi Jinping was treated to fish and chips by former British Prime Minister David Cameron in 2015, visiting a chippy is now seen as a must-do for Chinese tourists visiting the country, and last year, Scotts’ became the chippy of choice for scores of coach parties passing through Yorkshire.

Mr Webster said: “Jimmy and I have formed a great working partnership and we are both really excited about this venture. We are very hopeful this will be the first of a chain of Scotts Fish & Chips across China and the Far East.

“Later this month, I will be making my first visit to our Chinese chippy, which I’m very much looking forward to. Whist the restaurant certainly has a space-age look to it, the fish and chips are very Scotts!”

Mr Yu said Scotts ‘secret recipe’ allowed the Chinse restaurant to make the fried fish crispy and crunchy, and not greasy.

“In addition to the classic salt and vinegar, tartar sauce and ketchup, we have developed a new sauce using the unique local Sichuan spices, which gives customers a whole new experience of ‘East meets West’ through the taste buds,"he said.

Mr Webster revealed in August that he was already eyeing opportunities for two more restaurants following booming interest.

He said the popularity of the restaurant on the A64 at Bilbrough with Chinese diners had continued to surge after it started marketing itself to Chinese tour operators, with more than 1,000 Chinese tourists visiting it each week, making up about 15 per cent of all customers.