It turns out you’ve been eating fish and chips wrong this whole time!

It’s nonsense!
I wish ‘they’ whoever they are would leave us all alone to eat, drink and be merry in moderation.
I urge you to visit Bizzy Lizzies in Skipton for wonderful fish in wonderful edible batter!
Yum yum yum yum

I cannot remember the batter bits or scraps but they sound tasty.
I remember being back to about seven years old and Friday nights were fish and chip supper time bought when dad arrived home from work with his weekly wages. If my memory is correct a cod and chips was bought for 1 shilling and 5 pence that's in the old money these days buying for a family of four you are looking at over £20.

I’d chuck away the fish and just eat the batter!

Same here Twopence a real treat, think they were 4d. All stopped when I was expelled from the guides left the Guides.

We used to call them scratchings. We always asked for 'six penn'orth of chips and some scratchings please!' The chippie used to scoop some on top of the chips.

A bag of chips and batter scraps on the way home from guides. Yum Yum.

On the rare occasions we have F&C from the chippy, I don’t often eat the thick batter-think of the calories, but our chippy sells lightly battered fish where the coating is so thin it’s barely there. Tempura battered fish fingers, mmmm that's a different matter.

the same could be said for pastry, originally not meant for eating more for containing.

Mazgoli - whereabouts are you from? My partner also used to call the scraps “gribbles” - I’d never head the expression until I met him! He was born in Devon but moved to Nottinghamshire in his mis-spent youth - now we are both in Rugby. I can’t remember what I used to call the scraps when I was a child. I still think the only way to eat fish and chips was out of the newspaper, preferably sitting by the sea and trying to fend off those pesky seagulls!

Yes, weird I think! Maybe once upon a time it would be discarded, as was the pastry on Cornish pasties designed as a 'handle' to transport and eat the meat and vegetables, but which is now all part of the meal.

Mazgoli has reminded me of Saturday night suppers at my grandparents. They had a fish and chip shop in Manchester, bombed in the war, but my Grandad made scallops sliced potato and a very thin slice of onion all dipped in batter. Then deep-fried in dripping. Really crispy and yummy. Incidentally the tide is turning in favour of animal fats such as lard, dripping and butter. They contain useful things for brain connections.

I think it used to be the case way back in history - same with pies - but they have been developed to be eaten.
Quite frankly our chippie is hit and miss with the fish quality and there are times when I would rather eat the batter and jettison the fish.

Thin light batter not soggy compliments the fish I think. I remember the penny bags of scraps from the chip shop when I was little! (Yum)

Surely not eating the batter on fried fish is like not eating the pastry on a pie?

There is an award winning Fish and chip shop in Bridlington who only serve fish that has been caught by their own Trawler and Potatoes from the local farm, they look at you as though you are crazy of you refuse the mandatory shovel of free Scraps on your meal!

LOVE the batter.
6penneth of chips and scraps in a newspaper cone.
Now I have chips AND battered fish I have 3 things - the chips, the fish and the batter - best bit!!!

Anyone tried the battered fish, deep fried in BEEF dripping at Beamish?

The bits of batter are called gribbles where I come from and I remember them fondly. Potato slices in batter are called scallops! Who'd throw away the batter though? Ridiculous, unless like some of the posters above, and you're unable to eat it.

The argument has no ground.

What happens with veg/fish cooked in a tempura batter? Never seen any chef take off that batter when tasting the food.

My local chippy gave away the scraps. Lovely.

My dad used to make the best beer batter. Do miss him.

-Interesting comment. Must say I rarely eat that batter - but that is because I am always watching my weight and Fish & Chips is a guilty meal at the best of times.
I was brought up with eating at home what we knew as 'Jewish Fried Fish'. Light batter made from matzo meal and egg and very shallow fried. Totally different result and this fish could be eaten hot or cold.
Back in the past, when fish was a very cheap alternative to meat, I would make this at least once a week for my family. Can remember the large pile of fish (Plaice and Haddock mainly) that I would use - would probably require a mortgage to purchase that amount these days!!!

Still do scraps for free in my local chippy, sadly I can't manage them any longer and I have to have the small f&c. DSs and DGCs like them though.

hmm, if you don't want batter, then don't order deep fried fish! Order grilled or poached. Love the crispy batter. Of course not something one should eat regularly, but on occasion it is delicious.

I live in Hull, I would love to see the reaction in a local chipper if throwing the batter away was suggested!

The batter is the best bit. Penny worth of scrumps anyone.

I miss the skin on the fish.

Hell I must be a ruddy heathen.

When the DC were little we always had a bag of scraps with the fish / sausage / battered pizza and chips. It made the chips go further. Lovely mixed with mayo!

Loved the scraps