The Best Fish and Chips in Frome: We Tried Three Local Favourites

We recently asked local fish and chip lovers to tell us who serves the best fish and chips in Frome. We were certainly not short of answers, some of which came via private message.

After significant sifting, three candidates emerged whose vote counts put them clearly ahead of the pack.

Armed with the data, we sought the assistance of a person known for his bon vivant credentials, his learning, and his ability to find the ideal cuisine-related phrase. This person has been a food reviewer for some time, discreetly, and agreed to help.

It is important to state here that nobody involved has any connection to any of the premises mentioned, nor were their opinions on such known in advance.

It is also VERY IMPORTANT to state that all three finalists produced wholly satisfactory meals. It is a testament to the standard of Frome's fish and chip shops that the third-placed meal was still a good, tasty supper that would have received at least 85%, had we been marking like that.

The meal we chose was a noted ALL-TIME CLASSIC: haddock, chips and mushy peas.

How we judged Frome's fish and chip shops

The criteria we judged the shops on were:

1. General appearance (bright and clean? etc.)

2. Politeness of staff

3. Time from order to handover (only if extreme, with respect to the number of people waiting)

4. Crispness of batter

5. Texture, flavour and moistness of the fish

6. Crispness of chips (which had to be neither soggy nor reach a 'cracking' level of crispness, of course, and certainly not have any hint of burnt-ness)

7. Texture of the chip interior and quality of the potato flavour

8. The flavour, viscosity and general 'pulpiness' (or otherwise) of the mushy peas

Fish King, St John's Road - Frome's Hidden Gem

Our first trip was just outside the town centre, at St John's Road off Rodden Road, where we found the small but immaculately clean Fish King - easily missed! A very cheerful woman greeted us and answered every question with a smile and a yes.

Just five minutes later we were tucking into a meal wrapped in old-school paper. The batter was impeccable and the paper peeled away effortlessly without revealing a great greasy patch. The chips had just the right balance between soft and tooth-cracking, and the mushy peas – oh, those mushy peas!

These were mushy peas that raised the bar beyond anything any of us had previously encountered. Not a glutinous pulp beneath a puddle of liquid, no; these mushy peas had real texture, and the viscosity of the overall mix was absolutely first class. Our photo could not do them justice, but you will note the definition of the peas themselves.

The batter was splendidly crispy, encasing fish of a very satisfactory degree of moistness and flakiness, though the speed of delivery did give rise to us pondering whether the fish had been half-cooked in advance. Nonetheless, this was a great all-round meal, with mushy peas fit for a king. We would return without hesitation.

Please note that Fish King is cash only.

Lee's Fish and Chips, Portway

Our second trip took us to Lee's on Portway. The premises were not quite as encouraging as Fish King, and the person who served us was purposeful rather than bubbly. However, the bag was handed over about seven minutes later with a big smile, and we headed across the road for our second al fresco session.

The chips were excellent, probably on a par with Fish King, and the batter had a crunchiness that could be heard fifty metres away. We scrutinised it in great detail, and it must be said that Lee's batter is of a very high order indeed.

The fish itself was, if anything, even better than Fish King, with a wondrous moistness, perhaps confirming that the longer wait indicated fish cooked straight through from raw. The meal came in a cardboard box, handy for avoiding spillages.

It will not surprise you to learn that the spectacular excellence of Fish King's mushy peas could not be equalled (we doubt anyone the length and breadth of the UK could match them), but again this was a splendid meal and we would be back in a flash.

We didn't double-check whether Lee's is cash only, so it would be wise to take some cash just in case.

Paul's Plaice, Badcox

Our third outing took us to Paul's Plaice on Badcox. This is the largest and most commercial-looking of the three and has the advantage of two car parks – one on the doorstep and the other immediately opposite. As such, it is fair to assume they have to cope with higher numbers.

The premises look smart and efficient. We were greeted with satisfactory politeness and our meal was handed over about seven minutes later. Cash and card are both accepted.

We need to get the mushy peas out of the way. They were entirely satisfactory - classic fish shop mushy peas - but, having experienced Fish King's version, we are forever spoiled.

The chips were good, perhaps a whisker below the standard of the other two, though this had nothing to do with the cooking. Rather, we felt it was the variety of potato (they state their current supplier in the shop – these were from Shrewsbury). It was the inner texture, rather than the cooking, that didn't quite hit the spot, though this could easily be remedied with a change of supplier.

As with Lee's, there was a cardboard box to help keep everything together. The batter had a truly excellent crunchiness, although some of it did stick to the paper beneath and there was just a hint of greasiness - but only a hint.

The fish itself was thoroughly cooked, with perhaps a little less of the splendid moistness that characterised Lee's.

The Verdict - Which is Frome's Best Fish and Chip Shop?

Having sampled these excellent providers, we were left in something of a dilemma.

If parking convenience and production-line quality assurance are important to you, then Paul's Plaice comes out on top. You'll get a good, classic meal that "does what it says on the box", as it were.

If you don't mind heading up to Rodden Road, you will experience the acme of perfection in mushy peas, delicious fish and excellent chips, served, we anticipate, with delightful friendliness.

You take a bit of a chance with Portway parking, but why not walk if you can? Lee's mushy peas may not surmount the Fish King bar - we doubt anyone's will - but the fish, chips and batter are all absolutely first rate.

Lee's wins it, by a margin the narrowness of which is itself a compliment to the other two shops.

Written by Garfield Austin.

Writer & Photographer

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