Fish and chips celebrates 150 years as a British classic

Whether wrapped in newspaper and eaten with greasy fingers or served on white china with silver cutlery, fish and chips has come a long way since it began 150 years ago.

But the traditional British dish, celebrating a landmark anniversary this year, still boasts pride of place in British culture.

The dish has survived the arrival of McDonalds and the trend for healthy and organic food, and there are now about 10,500 "chippies" across Britain serving up between 250 million and 350 million portions each year.

What began as a cheap working-class meal became a national favourite and is now a culinary classic served at some of Britain's top restaurants.

Tucked away in London's west end district, a seat at J Sheekey is one of the most sought-after in the capital, with celebrity diners including Jude Law, Kate Moss and the cream of British acting talent from the nearby theatres.

White linen tableclothes and dark wood panelling mark it out as a refined establishment, but there, on the menu, is fish and chips.

"It's one of our top sellers," said head chef Richard Kirkwood, with about 150 to 200 portions sold in the restaurant each week.

"For me, there's something quite special about putting your knife into a light, crispy batter and then into the soft part of the fish and eating it together," he said.

"You've got the crunchy, you've got the soft, you've got the sweet peas, the crispy chips. It's a great meal."

For €19 euros, you'd expect something special, and the chefs here pride themselves on using fresh, sustainably caught haddock, deep fried in a light beer batter and served with chips and minted mushy peas.

The dish is served with tartare sauce, malt vinegar and tomato ketchup on request, all traditional fish-and-chip condiments - although diners here often wash it all down with champagne.

It is a far cry from the humble origins of the dish, which emerged from the fried fish cooked by Jewish communities in London's East End and the chipped potatoes favoured in the factories of industrial northwest England.

The National Federation of Fish Friers believes the first fish and chip shop was set up in 1860 - which makes 2010 its 150th birthday - although chippies in northern England and London still argue over where this shop was.