Chip Cones - Modern ‘Times’ Newspaper Wrapping.

How do you like yours? Smothered in ketchup as John Lennon reportedly favoured, or with mushy peas, as was Michael Jackson’s preference?  The humble British chip is as popular in the north, with gravy, as it is in the south with salt and vinegar, or in Scotland with chippie sauce! They used to say not to worry about what was written in today’s newspapers as they would be used for wrapping tomorrow’s fish and chips anyway. That changed when the food hygiene standards deemed newspaper ink too toxic, and the paper too unhygienic, for this purpose.

Tradition can continue however, through QAR’s retro newspaper - print chip cones. Made from sustainable card in award - winning quality by Vegware, these cones are made from plants and are commercially compostable. They will instantly add a touch of the past, with a modern vibe, to any presentation or party.

Traditionally, potatoes were thought to have been fried into chips as a substitute for fish when rivers froze over in winter. Fried fish, however, is believed to have been brought to the UK by Spanish and Portuguese refugees during the 16th century.

Charles Dickens, in his London-based novel Oliver Twist, refers to a “fried fish warehouse”, the forerunner to the modern chip shop, where bread or baked potatoes would have been served with the fish.

The pairing of fish and chips, ‘the good companions’ as Winston Churchill named them, came about when Joseph Malin, an Ashkenazi Jew, came to London’s East End from Eastern Europe, combined the two, and opened the UK’s first fish and chip shop around 1860. There are debates over whether this story is in fact true, however, or if the first fish and chip shop actually opened in the north of England. Either way, our traditional dish can certainly be attributed to an international team.

Fish and chips remind us of the sea and summer holidays - during the industrial revolution, the development of trawl fishing in the North Sea and the building of railways allowed the fish to be rapidly transported around the country. This coincided with the boom of the seaside resorts, like Blackpool and Brighton, which had become affordable to the working classes. Fish and chips, already a favourite, was now easy to enjoy on the beach - you guessed, straight from the newspaper!

More recently, fish and chips has also become popular at parties and functions favouring the retro vibe. Call QAR now to place your order and to add some nostalgia to your party presentation, whether for fish and chips, pizza slices or any other tasty treats.

By Tara Gibson

Order Newsprint Chip Cones