Top chips

THEY'RE often described as our national dish, a cheap and tasty snack that make an ideal meal on the hoof and are great for soaking up too many pints. Foreigners may laugh at our lack of culinary sophistication, but we British do love our chips. According to the British Potato Council which co-ordinates National Chip Week, the UK's 8,500 fish and chip shops sell more than 277 million portions a year.

That's a lot of chips.

You might be tempted to think that's a lot of expanding waistlines, too. But hold hard! Chips, says the British Potato Council, aren't as unhealthy as people think. You can get a third of your daily vitamin C from a portion of chips made with fresh potatoes - double the amount, weight for weight, than in apples.

There is, admittedly, more fat in a portion of chips - but still less than in a tuna mayonnaise sandwich, apparently.

A 100g portion of oven chips has 4.2g of fat, compared to 16.3g in a tuna mayo sarnie. Strangely, figures aren't available for chips cooked in a fat frier. It depends on the cooking temperature and the oil used, someone from the British Potato Council's PR company pointed out.

Nevertheless, the organisation insists, an average portion of cod and chips contains less than half the fat and significantly fewer calories than a serving of chicken tikka masala and pilau rice or a sweet and sour pork with egg fried rice.

If you're really worried about calories and cholesterol, fat chips are healthier than thin ones, because they absorb less oil (due to having a proportionately smaller surface area). Fresh and frozen chips are also free from the artificial preservatives and colourings found in many other fast foods. But you don't eat chips because you want a healthy diet. You eat them because they're delicious.

To celebrate National Chip Week a panel of Evening Press reporters have been out sampling a few of York's chippies. The results are on the right, with marks given out of five...

Millers, Main Street, Fulford, York, open 5pm-10pm Mon-Sat, and for lunch 11.30am-1.30pm Tues-Sat

Large, clean-cut chips fried a light golden brown. Nice and hot, light and fluffy inside, not oily or greasy. Taste good without being really outstanding. A good-sized portion, more than 90 decent-sized chips in my bag. Good value at 80p.

Petergate Fisheries, Low Petergate, York, open 11am-6pm every day

There's usually a queue, ensuring the chips are more often than no "just cooked". One size available, priced 95p, served in a polystyrene tray, with around 60-70 chips. Quite filling for lunch. Chips are a good size and colour; thick and golden. Potato is soft and fluffy inside.

Jenny's, Lawrence Street, York, open: 11.30am-11.30pm Mon-Thurs, 11.30am-midnight Fri-Sat, 2.30pm-11.30pm Sun.

Popped in at lunchtime. I was the sole customer and the chips were being kept warm rather than just being brought out of the fryer. Despite this they had a good crisp, golden colour and were still warm and tasty after a quick trip back to the office. The potato was soft, and not too fluffy. They came in a take-away tray with about 50 chips for 80p.

Ebor Fisheries, corner of Ebor Street and Bishopthorpe Road, York, open 4.30pm-10.30pm Mon, Tues and Wed, 4.30pm-11.30pm Thurs, Fri and Sat.

Not the freshest chips, overcooked and tasted as if they'd been sitting waiting to be served up for some time. Also a lot of very thin, tough chips in the bag. Not very hot, and slightly greasy. A decent sized portion of about 80 chips, but for 90p not particularly satisfying.

Tony's Plaice, 47, Newborough Street, York, open Tuesday to Saturday, 4.30pm to 9.30pm, and Friday and Saturday lunchtime

My chips were piping hot, served fresh at this very friendly chip shop close to York City's ground. They were soft inside, not too greasy, some with crispier edges than others. Extremely tasty, smelt wonderful and good value at about 74 chips for 75p. Lovely.

Ali's Kitchen, Walmgate, York, open seven days a week, 4pm til late.

Thin 'fries-style' chips, served in a polystyrene tray. Ali's is mainly a kebab house but also does great pizzas. The chips are a little dry and powdery, and possibly also a little heavy on the stomach. But piping hot and very tasty. At £1 for a portion containing about 90 chips perhaps a shade expensive.

Happy Valley, Gillygate, York, open 5pm until 11.30pm.

A thin and soft chip, hot but too soggy and lacking flavour and texture. Comparatively cheap at 70p, but the size of the portion was poor. I had practically finished before I started. Not what you would expect of chips from your typical Chinese outlet.

King's Pizza, York, open 5am - 3am Monday to Saturday, 5pm - 1am Sunday.

A thin 'fries-style' but hot, dry, fluffy and a decent sized portion too. The golden-coloured chips come packed in a hamburger-style carton. Crispy and tasty, with a delicate flavour, the chips weighed in at £1. Definitely worth another visit.

Carey Street Fisheries, Carey Street, York, open Tuesday to Friday, 5-8pm, Saturday, 5-6.30pm, and Friday and Saturday lunchtime.

A popular chippy, so you have to queue. This ensures a quick turnover of chips, so they're usually freshly fried and piping hot. Large, square-cut, perfectly cooked chips. Soft inside, but with a hint of crispiness in the skin and a deliciously earthy taste, though perhaps a touch dry. Great value at 80p for a large portion of 80-90 good-sized chips.

Updated: 08:42 Saturday, February 16, 2002