Offer Dundee man Christopher Culloch a fish supper that he can’t refuse – and it could be in with a chance of being named the best in Tayside… or even Scotland.
The 25-year-old primary school teacher started an Instagram page earlier this year under the alias Fish and Chipstopher and began posting humorous reviews of his suppers.
More than six months on, Christopher – who also refers to himself as The Codfather – has rated more than 22 chippies in Dundee.
He has also reviewed the likes of The Bay Fish and Chips and The Carron Fish Bar in Stonehaven, and the Round ‘O’ in Arbroath.
So, how did the P4 teacher find himself on a quest to discover the best fish supper money can buy?
A good supper for grandad
Christopher explains: “I see my grandad most weeks – he is 91 – and because all the clubs he would usually go to were cancelled due to lockdown, I would take him a fish supper every Friday night.
“We’d sit with a cup of tea and watch The Chase on television.
“At the same time, my girlfriend was up in Aberdeen at university and she would send me photos of her fish and chips from the Kingfisher, which looked great.
“That’s when I decided we needed to switch it up, so it became a case of trying to find a really good fish supper for grandad.”
From a young age, Christopher was interested in the classic dish.
“My dad tells me a story that when I was in primary school I brought a big ordnance survey map for a piece of homework. I’d defaced it and put red circles on every fish and chip shop I’d been in Scotland,” he adds.
“I was also a keen swimmer when I was younger and I think the only way my parents got me to go was if I got a fish supper afterwards!”
How the ratings work
The fish and chip connoisseur rates his supper out of 30, awarding marks out of 10 for the batter, the fish and, of course, the chips.
He then works out an average and creates an overall mark out of 10.
That’s when external factors such as price, presentation and quality of service can come into play.
His suppers have ranged in price from £6.50 to £8.80.
And when it comes to the food itself, Christopher keeps a close eye on the quality, giving honest and light-hearted feedback about his meals.
He continues: “So many times you go to get a fish supper and it looks quite appetising. Then you’ll take a bite and the batter is all soggy.
“You have to look and see if the batter is crispy or soft or too hard.”
Christopher is looking for batter that is crispy, flavoursome and not too greasy, and fish that is flaky and fresh.
When it comes to chips, they have to be crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and – most importantly – a good portion size!
Who’s in the lead?
Christopher’s current national leader is Kingfisher on Aberdeen’s King Street.
He described it as “a delightful eat” and awarded it an overall 9.5/10.
In Dundee, the leader is The Silvery Tay on Charleston Drive, which scored 9.2/10.
He said of it: “A monumental moment, as tonight we have a new Dundee leader.”
Christopher continues: “My grandad was controversial and he didn’t like the Silvery Tay as much – because it was in a box and it wasn’t wrapped in paper!”
When it comes to personal preference, Christopher steers away from the mushy peas and pickles and sticks to simple salt and vinegar. None of your chippie sauce, thanks very much. However his grandad will add three fritters to his order.
Chippie or chipper?
While we’re on the divisive subject of what Scots prefer to call fish shops, he believes the correct term is “chippie” and not “chipper”.
Have your say…
Christopher reveals: “I get people messaging me or sending me photos of their fish suppers and telling me I should go there.
“I do have a big list of recommendations.
“I can predict at some point next year I’m going to have to go on a diet, but I’ll keep going until I find a definite winner.”
