It’s National Fish & Chip Day 2026
It’s National Fish & Chip Day 2026 — Let’s Talk Kit.
Today is National Fish & Chip Day, and frankly it’s one of the better entries in the national food day calendar. Yes, there are regional variations — haddock or cod, dripping or vegetable oil, gravy or curry sauce — and we embrace every single one of them. Just battered fish, golden chips, the occasional fishcake, and the faint smell of vinegar in the air. Glorious.
Fish and chips sells itself. A traditional chip shop, a pub with a Friday fish special, a café with a loyal lunchtime crowd — it doesn’t matter. Your job is to have the right kit in place to do it justice.
Here’s what you need.
Before the Fryer: Fish Refrigeration
Great fish and chips starts long before the oil heats up. Raw fish needs to be stored at the right temperature — consistently, all day — to stay fresh, safe, and in the best possible condition for the fryer.
A dedicated fish storage cabinet is built specifically for this. Designed to hold fish trays at precise low temperatures, they keep raw fish separate from other refrigerated stock and maintain the hygiene standards a busy fish operation demands.
We stock fish cabinets from Diamond, Tefcold, Foster, Sterling Pro, and Williams — ranging from compact single door units to high capacity cabinets for serious volume. Whether you’re running a traditional chip shop or a restaurant with fish on the daily menu, there’s a unit to suit.
The Fryer: Get This Right Above Everything Else
Everything starts and ends with the fryer. Too small and you’re constantly playing catch-up. Underpowered and your oil temperature drops between batches. The result is greasy, soggy food that no amount of salt will fix.
For a café or smaller operation, a countertop fryer does the job well. The ACE 17L is a solid plug-and-play option — 13 amp, no special installation required, with a built-in drain tap for easy oil changes. It comes with a fish plate too. That sits in the bottom of the tank to stop delicate battered fish sticking and breaking up during frying. Small detail, big difference. The Infernus range covers similar ground across a range of sizes, with single and twin tank options to suit different menus.
A twin tank fryer makes particular sense for fish and chips. Fish and chips are traditionally fried separately — different temperatures, different times, and batter debris from the fish has no business being in your chip oil. Two tanks sorts all of that. Fish in one, chips in the other.
For higher volume — busy pub kitchen, takeaway, anywhere fish and chips drives the menu — you need a floor-standing unit. Prefer electric? The Falcon Dominator Plus E3860 offers 40 litres of oil capacity and up to 48kg of chips per hour. Prefer gas? The Infernus 5 Burner 37L has five cast iron burners, a 37 litre single tank with twin baskets, fast heat recovery, and a cold zone that keeps oil cleaner for longer. Both handle a relentless Friday night service.
Keep It Hot: Bain Maries and Chip Scuttles
Frying is only half the story. Once the fish is out of the fryer and the chips are golden, you need to hold them at the right temperature without turning them into something sad and limp.
A bain marie keeps your sides — mushy peas, curry sauce, gravy, baked beans — hot, consistent, and ready throughout service. A chip scuttle keeps your chips warm and dry after frying, holding that just-cooked crispness far longer than leaving them to sit in a pile.
Neither is glamorous kit. Both are essential.
Heated Display: Sell More Without Trying
If customers can see it, they buy it. A good heated display cabinet keeps your fish, chips, and sides visible, warm, and inviting throughout service. It does your upselling for you.
A countertop heated display suits a takeaway or café counter well — a straightforward addition that pays for itself quickly. A full heated display unit suits a larger operation, presenting your range properly and cutting down on the number of times staff need to explain what’s available.
Mobile Catering: Fish and Chips on the Road
Fish and chips travels well. It’s one of the most popular choices for food trucks, mobile catering, and events — and for good reason. If you’re running a trailer or van, the principles are the same but the kit needs to be compact, LPG-compatible, and built for life on the move.
We stock mobile-ready fryers, bain maries, and chip scuttles from Lincat and Archway — gas and electric fryers, electric chip scuttles, sized for everything from a small trailer to a serious event setup.
One Last Thing …
There are those who will say fish and chips isn’t the healthiest meal on the menu. They’re not entirely wrong. Frying adds calories. But fish itself is genuinely excellent — high quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids for heart and brain health, B vitamins, selenium, and iodine. Some health professionals make the point that if frying is the only way you’ll eat fish, it’s better fried than not at all. On National Fish & Chip Day, we’re inclined to agree.
Right, Now Go and Sell Some
If your fryer is getting on a bit — struggling to hold temperature, recovering slowly between batches, making service harder than it should be — today seems like a reasonable excuse to do something about it.
Finally, to every chip shop, café, pub kitchen, and mobile trailer serving the nation its favourite today — thank you.
Browse our full range of commercial fryers
Bain maries, chip scuttles, and heated display
Call us on 01379 641223 or email sales@angliacateringequipment.com
Happy National Fish & Chip Day.
