Ventnor Haven Fishery

Some may call it treason, others call it a revelation. On the Isle of Wight, a new take on a tradition as old as they come is catching residents and visitors by storm. Here, at the Ventnor Haven Fishery, patrons settle in for a seaside lunch, collect their pile of napkins, and dig into… *crab* ‘n chips. Let us explain.

For more than a century, the Blake family have taken their boats out to fish in the waters off Ventnor Bay. You can spot them in their element, out on the water, every day of the year except for Christmas. As the owners of the seafood shack, they’re serious about bringing their diners the freshest fish the sea has to offer.

The way they tell it, they had just opened up their fish and chip kiosk, frying up the classic white fish to crowds of the island’s happy foodies. But every day, they were pulling in more and more crab, a plentiful resource in the local waters. With so many of their pinchy pals around, what else were they to do?

And so crab ‘n chips were born. Snow white meat fried to a crisp, sitting proudly on a pile of hand cut chips. It depends on who you ask, but to some, this twist on tradition is the fish ‘n chips promised land. To others, blasphemy! Either way, don’t forget your extra napkins before digging in — things are about to get messy.

 Written by: Drew Tweedy