Eddie Gilbert’s free offer for National Chip Week

Ramsgate chippie nominated for Potato Council Award

New restaurant manager hired


Eddie Gilbert's, the award-winning Ramsgate fishmonger that recently opened a fish and chip shop (and 50-seater gourmet fish restaurant,) is to give away a free portion of chips with every large portion of fish bought from the chippie during National Chip Week 2010 (15th – 22nd) February.

A former winner of the Taste of Kent of Fish Retailer of the Year, Eddie Gilbert’s has been nominated for the Potato Council’s “Perfect Portion Awards”. Kent chip lovers can voted for Eddie Gilbert’s online at www.lovechips.co.uk/nominate-your-perfect-portion. Voting closes on 10th February.

Now in its 19th year, National Chip Week is organised by the Potato Council to promote home grown spuds. Last year over 800 fish and chips shops actively participated in National Chip Week. Over a quarter of the country’s potatoes are made into chips, with the fish and chips shop sector alone worth £1.2b accounting for 13% of the entire UK crop.

The art of cooking the perfect chip, according to Eddie Gilbert’s Michelin-trained chef Craig Mather, is to “Fry quality potatoes with a low moisture content, in small quantities, in beef dripping at a consistent temperature.” Although Eddie Gilbert’s also offers customer the choice of fish and chips cooked in vegetable oil.

At Eddie Gilbert’s each portion of chips is cooked to order, which maintains the right cooking temperature. Owner Jonny Dunhill sources locally grown Maris Piper potatoes, but admits that he had to “hunt around a bit” to find the right quality.

Dunhill has a recruited Nick MacAskill from the Yew Tree Inn in Barfestone to manage the front of house at 50-seater gourmet first floor restaurant.

For details of National Chip Week visit http://www.lovechips.co.uk/

Photo Jonny Dunhill