Joseph Malin loves his grandmotherโs fried fish, which she makes according to an old family recipe. Itโs so good, he thinks he might be able to make some money from it; money that his immigrant Jewish family desperately needs. He takes it into the marketplace of 19th Century Londonโs East End and calls out to passers-by: โFresh from the ships, Hot nโ tasty fried fish'. Before long, people are coming from far and wide to try the delicious snack.
But his success inspires a rival. Annette, the greengrocer across the street, sees an opportunity to hawk her own family favourite: Belgian-style fried potatoes. โPiping hot chips!โ/So crisp, so delishโ, she calls. And theyโre a hit too.
The competition between Joseph and Annette heats up as they try to outsell each other at the market. And then one dayโฆ crash! The two collide. Chips slip. Fish fly. Itโs a disaster. Or perhaps notโฆ
This is the playful, fictional account of how the real-life Joseph Malin, a poor Jewish immigrant, invented fish and chips, the iconic British fish and chips dish.