National Fish and Chip Day is one of the best days in the food calendar. It falls on the first Friday of June every year, and in 2026, that means Friday, 5th June. Now in its second decade, it's become the biggest food awareness day. In the UK in 2025 alone, coverage reached over 440 million people.
For chip shops, it's one of the busiest days of the year. For home cooks, it's a good excuse to have a proper go at one of Britain's most loved meals. Either way, it's worth doing it right.
This guide has a proper fish and chip recipe that works in both a professional kitchen and at home, followed by a run-through of the chip shop equipment and supplies available from Cooksmill.
When Is National Fish and Chip Day?
National Fish and Chip Day takes place on the first Friday of June every year.
- 2026 — Friday 5th June
- 2027 — Friday 4th June
- 2028 — Friday 2nd June
For chip shops, it's worth planning well ahead. Stock up on packaging and disposables early as demand spikes in the run-up to the day.
A Brief History of National Fish and Chip Day
National Fish and Chip Day was founded in 2015 by NEODA, the National Edible Oil Distributors' Association, as a small initiative to celebrate the dish and raise awareness for the industry behind it. What started as a quick social media push on a Friday morning has grown into the UK's biggest food awareness day.
Fish and chips itself has been around considerably longer than the day that celebrates it. The dish as we know it took shape in the 1860s, when the first chip shops began appearing across Britain, and by the 1930s there were over 35,000 of them. During both World Wars, it was one of the few foods the government chose not to ration, recognising how important it was to everyday life and public morale. A tradition that's carried through to today.
A Proper Fish and Chip Recipe
This recipe serves four and works whether you're cooking at home or scaling up for service. The method is traditional: double-fried chips, cold batter, and hot oil.
Ingredients
For the batter:
- 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 250ml cold sparkling water
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
For the fish:
- 4 thick fillets of cod or haddock, skin removed (approx. 180–200g each)
- Salt and white pepper
- Oil for frying: sunflower, vegetable, or beef dripping for a traditional finis
For the chips:
- 1.2kg Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes
- Oil for frying
- Salt to finish
Step 1 - Prepare the Chips
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick chips, around 1.5cm wide. Rinse in cold water until the water runs clear, then dry thoroughly.
- First fry: Heat oil to 130-140°C and fry the chips in batches for 5-6 minutes until cooked through with no colour. Drain and set aside.
- Second fry: When you're ready to serve, heat oil to 180-190°C and fry the chips again for 3-4 minutes until golden and crisp. Season with salt straight out of the fryer.
The double fry is what separates a good chip from a great one, crisp outside and fluffy inside.
Step 2 - Make the Batter
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold sparkling water and vinegar gradually, whisking until smooth. The batter should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Keep the batter cold until you need it. Cold batter hitting hot oil gives you a lighter, crispier result.
Step 3 - Fry the Fish
- Pat the fish dry and season on both sides. Dust lightly in plain flour, then dip into the batter and let the excess drip off.
- Heat oil to 180-190°C. Lower each piece carefully into the oil and fry for 6-8 minutes, depending on thickness, turning once, until the batter is deep golden and the fish is cooked through.
- Don't overcrowd the pan. Fry one or two pieces at a time. Too much fish drops the oil temperature, and you end up with a greasy batter rather than a crisp one.
Step 4 - Serve
Serve immediately with salt and malt vinegar, and whatever accompaniments you like:
- Mushy peas
- Curry sauce or gravy
- Tartare sauce
- Pickled onions or gherkins
Chip Shop Equipment and Supplies from Cooksmill
Cooksmill are one of the UK's leading fish and chip shop suppliers, with everything you need for the counter, the fryer, and the takeaway bag. All available online or in-store in Salford and Bradford. Here are some of our essential tools for any chip shop.
Product: Stainless Steel Fish Tong 10"
What it's for: Handling battered fish safely over a deep fryer. Ten inches gives you the reach without putting your hands near hot oil.
Product: Round Wire Skimmer 12"
What it's for: Lifting chips and battered fish from the fryer cleanly. The wire basket drains oil quickly, so your product stays crisp.
Product: Fat Skimmer Rectangular 8" with 30 Mesh Gauze
What it's for: Removing batter debris from frying oil between fries. Cleaner oil means better-tasting food and longer oil life.
Product: Stainless Steel Perforated Scoop 11cm
What it's for: Portioning and serving chips. Perforations let excess oil drain back rather than ending up in the tray.
Product: Stainless Steel Ladles 6oz
What it's for: Serving curry sauce, gravy, and mushy peas consistently at the right portion size
Product: Chip Bucket Stainless Steel 30 x 30cm
What it's for: Holding uncooked chips ready for the fryer. The wide, open design makes it easy to pour straight in without mess or fuss.
Fish and Chip Packaging and Serveware
Good packaging keeps food hot, presents it well, and on a day like National Fish and Chip Day, it's often what customers photograph and share. It's worth getting right.
Product: Corrugated Box Medium Traditional F&C Print 272 x 155 x 50mm (Pack 100)
What it's for: This is the classic fish and chip box. The corrugated construction provides insulation to keep food hotter for longer, and the traditional F&C print gives it the look customers expect from a proper chippy takeaway.
Product: Kraft Chip Tray (Pack 125)
What it's for: This is a clean, sturdy Kraft chip tray for open chip service. It handles the weight and grease of a full portion without losing its structure, which is more than can be said for cheaper alternatives.
Product: Kraft Greaseproof Food Tray 2lb (Pack 250) and 5lb (Pack 250)
What it's for: These are available in two sizes for different portion requirements. The greaseproof lining handles oil and moisture throughout service without the tray softening or collapsing.
Product: Compostable Bagasse Chip Tray 167mm x 130mm (Pack 125)
What it's for: These are made from sugarcane fibre and fully compostable. This is a straightforward eco-friendly swap for standard chip trays. It's sturdy enough for a full chip portion and a good option for chip shops looking to reduce their environmental footprint
Product: Food Wrap Paper 177x230mm 7x9" CUT 8 / 4kg
What it's for: These are pre-cut food wrap for portioning individual servings at the counter. It keeps food together, provides a hygienic barrier for handling, and is a staple of any traditional chip shop setup.
Product: Kraft Paper Portion Pot 3oz (Pack 100) with Lid for 2/3/4oz Kraft Paper Portion Pots (Pack 50)
What it's for: These are the right solution for curry sauce, mushy peas, and gravy. The matching lid keeps sauces secure in the takeaway bag and stops them from leaking over everything else in the order.
Product: Hinged Sauce Container 1oz (Pack 50)
What it's for: These are small hinged pots for individual sauce portions such as ketchup, tartare, mayo, or vinegar. It works well for eat-in service and for adding to takeaway bags alongside the main order.
Product: Disposable Wooden Chip Forks 85mm (Pack 1000)
What it's for: This is the standard chip fork, wooden, disposable, and the right size for a chip tray or box. Available in packs of 1,000, which is the quantity you'll want on a busy service day.
Stock Up with Cooksmill Before 5th June
National Fish and Chip Day 2026 is Friday, 5th June. If you're a chip shop, restaurant, or food business gearing up for the day, make sure your chip shop frying equipment, packaging, and disposables are sorted well in advance.
Cooksmill is one of the UK's most established fish and chip shop equipment suppliers. We stock everything from frying tools and stainless steel counter equipment to eco-friendly packaging and traditional chip shop serveware, all available at Cooksmill.co.uk or in store in Salford and Bradford.
