18 hours Ago
I was one of the many who queued outside Grandpa's Fish Bar in Lanchester to witness its grand opening and while I wasn't one of the lucky first 20 customers to bag a free cone of chips, I did have something I've never eaten before. Scanning down the menu seeing the regular fixtures of cod and chips, pies, and jumbo battered sausages, there was a notable addition that I had not seen on a board above a North East chip pan before..
. a deep-fried Mars Bar. (Image: Sarah Caldecott) It was promptly added to the overall order alongside the portions of fish and chips.
And I couldn't wait to tuck into mine. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, the first thing that hits you when you open the box is just how silly the idea seems. And yet, here I was about to tuck into a Mars Bar encased in batter and crisped up in beef dripping.
(Image: Sarah Caldecott) It shouldn't work. It ought not to work. It certainly is not for the diet.
(Image: Sarah Caldecott) But it worked. And it worked well. The crispy batter gave way to a gooey chocolate which had melted into the nougat and caramel, somehow miraculously maintaining its structural integrity.
The flavours of a Mars bar are known well. Now add crispiness and a sense of dicing with death to the equation and you're well on the way to entertaining yourself with the Scottish treat. I felt as though I was one of the schoolboys lining up for a free cone of chips.
Recommended reading Suddenly anything was possible. I could batter a Kit Kat. I could batter a Toblerone.
I could batter an entire tub of Maltesers. My eyes had been opened and there was no going back. What a way to spend £4.
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