Punters prefer knife and fork to eat their chippy

In a consumer survey of buying habits at fish and chip shops, more than 3,200 people were asked about their preferred way to eat Britain's favourite take-away. Across the country, just 40% said they ate theirs from the bag with their fingers. The survey found Londoners were most likely to be too posh to pick from the bag with 72% stating they would rather eat their fish and chips from a plate. They were closely followed by fish and chip fans in the South East (68%) and the Midlands (67%) who would also rather use a knife and fork. However, Scots reversed the national trend, with 60% opting to get stuck in with their fingers and eat their fish suppers straight from the bag. The Friers Quality Awards are run by Seafish, the authority on seafood and awards shops with three, four or five stars as a mark of quality, recognising shops that serve first-class fish and chips. For the last two years, previous winners of the national Fish & Chip Shop of the Year Competition have all been five star FQA holders. Robert Smith, owner of the five-star FQA rated Anstruther Fish Bar and current national winner of the Seafish Fish & Chip Shop of the Year Competition, said: "The way people enjoy fish and chips is always a source of great debate in the shop. With visitors from all over the UK and overseas we see many different trends. My personal favourite is out the wrapping on the beach front. You can't beat it."