Andy’s Chippy, 78 Queens Drive, Bedford MK41 9BS
What is it they say? “While the wife’s away the husband will play” and play I did, all the way down memory lane to Andy’s Chippy in Goldington.
Since moving back to Bedford I’ve tried to find a decent chippy that served decent bloody Fish & Chips, sometimes they’ve been good, sometimes they’ve bee ok and other times they’ve been damn disgusting.
Most fish you get these days is served in a soggy batter reluctantly clinging on to some kind of white fish or another but always sold as Cod (declining Cod numbers mean that a lot of the times you’re served Pollok or Colley as a substitute), I don’t think anyone would really mind that much if the chippies were upfront about it rather than just pretending it something it quite clearly isn’t.
I’ve been to Andy’s Chippy a couple of times since returning to Bedford and while the fish has always been top notch the chips were getting bigger & bigger to the point where they may have well just been handing out full sized spuds. It’s also a bit of a trek as I live near Elstow and Goldington is the complete other side of Bedford. Anyway, tonight I went back and I’m very glad I did!
Pulling in to the car park a lot of old memories came flooding back, this was THE chippy of my childhood, this was part of my old stomping ground. Getting out of the car the familiar smell engraved in the air greeted me, filling my nostrils with the past and brining a little smile to my face.
Stepping inside I could see that the place had been revamped but it still looked very similar to how it did all those years ago. Luckily it wasn’t too busy this evening and my order was taken pretty quickly and I was out the door with my dinner less than a minute later (don’t read that as “the norm” as a most of the time there is a queue running out of the door and around the corner).
So tonight I treated myself to small chips, medium cod and…. A BLOODY BAG OF SCRAPS!!!!! Scraps… scraps… These were always a staple of my childhood, whenever I went to Andy’s with my mates I’d always have a bag of chips with scraps, soaked in so much vinegar it was leak out of the bottom of the bag leaving a sweet acidic trail back to Andy’s, a bit like Hansel & Gretel but less witches & child abuse.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had a bag of scraps (for those not in the “know” scraps are little bits of batter from the fryer, sometimes known as batter bits). When I lived in Luton I couldn’t find a chippy anywhere that did them, one chippy I used to frequent always gave me funny looks when I asked for them. Every time I went there I would ask if he had any scraps and every time I’d get the funny look and a “no, sorry mate”. One day however he relented and said YES… there was a little party inside my belly, my tongue did a little victory dance and I went home a happy boy. When I finally got home I opened the bag with feelings of anticipation, that soon vanished when the paper went back and I saw he had quite litterely given me a bag of scraps! Old manky green chips, potato peelings, bits of dirty dropped fish and fluff. It was a sad day that day.
So, scraps. Proper scraps, proper Andy’s Chippy scraps… a joy to behold but even better to eat. I really can’t say enough good things about them and suggest that you just get down there and try them for yourself. The chip[s have (thankfully) come down in size and are good, back to how they used to be. Not too greasy, not floppy and fluffy on the inside with a unique taste that I have yet to find in another chippy anywhere. The fish was pretty good too, not the usual standard but it had one thing going for it that most other chippie’s don’t… the batter stayed crispy! That’s right, even after a good soaking of vinegar the batter kept its crunch and not only that but it closely hugged the fish like it was its best friend rather than hanging off of it like it was some wet paper bag on stick. The fish itself was moist and didn’t crumble on the plate (which has been the majority of my experiences of late), it stayed in segments and had a proper “fish form a chippy” taste (again a rarity).
The other bonus was the price. Quite a few chippies these days are really charging over the odds but I think the prices here were very reasonable. There is also a lot of chip shop staples on the menu including the now classic “Battered Mars Bar” (something I’ll be having on my next visit).
As I’ve already mentioned this place was a big part of my childhood and going back again has made me realise that you don’t always have to go forward to find enjoyment, sometimes the best things are what we’ve left behind and it doesn’t hurt to go back and pick them up again every once in a while.
What is it they say? “While the wife’s away the husband will play” and play I did, all the way down memory lane to Andy’s Chippy in Goldington.Since moving back to Bedford I’ve tried to find a decent chippy that served decent bloody Fish & Chips, sometimes they’ve been good, sometimes they’ve bee ok and other times they’ve been damn disgusting.
Most fish you get these days is served in a soggy batter reluctantly clinging on to some kind of white fish or another but always sold as Cod (declining Cod numbers mean that a lot of the times you’re served Pollok or Colley as a substitute), I don’t think anyone would really mind that much if the chippies were upfront about it rather than just pretending it something it quite clearly isn’t.
I’ve been to Andy’s Chippy a couple of times since returning to Bedford and while the fish has always been top notch the chips were getting bigger & bigger to the point where they may have well just been handing out full sized spuds. It’s also a bit of a trek as I live near Elstow and Goldington is the complete other side of Bedford. Anyway, tonight I went back and I’m very glad I did!
Pulling in to the car park a lot of old memories came flooding back, this was THE chippy of my childhood, this was part of my old stomping ground. Getting out of the car the familiar smell engraved in the air greeted me, filling my nostrils with the past and brining a little smile to my face.
Stepping inside I could see that the place had been revamped but it still looked very similar to how it did all those years ago. Luckily it wasn’t too busy this evening and my order was taken pretty quickly and I was out the door with my dinner less than a minute later (don’t read that as “the norm” as a most of the time there is a queue running out of the door and around the corner).
So tonight I treated myself to small chips, medium cod and…. A BLOODY BAG OF SCRAPS!!!!! Scraps… scraps… These were always a staple of my childhood, whenever I went to Andy’s with my mates I’d always have a bag of chips with scraps, soaked in so much vinegar it was leak out of the bottom of the bag leaving a sweet acidic trail back to Andy’s, a bit like Hansel & Gretel but less witches & child abuse.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had a bag of scraps (for those not in the “know” scraps are little bits of batter from the fryer, sometimes known as batter bits). When I lived in Luton I couldn’t find a chippy anywhere that did them, one chippy I used to frequent always gave me funny looks when I asked for them. Every time I went there I would ask if he had any scraps and every time I’d get the funny look and a “no, sorry mate”. One day however he relented and said YES… there was a little party inside my belly, my tongue did a little victory dance and I went home a happy boy. When I finally got home I opened the bag with feelings of anticipation, that soon vanished when the paper went back and I saw he had quite litterely given me a bag of scraps! Old manky green chips, potato peelings, bits of dirty dropped fish and fluff. It was a sad day that day.
So, scraps. Proper scraps, proper Andy’s Chippy scraps… a joy to behold but even better to eat. I really can’t say enough good things about them and suggest that you just get down there and try them for yourself. The chip[s have (thankfully) come down in size and are good, back to how they used to be. Not too greasy, not floppy and fluffy on the inside with a unique taste that I have yet to find in another chippy anywhere. The fish was pretty good too, not the usual standard but it had one thing going for it that most other chippie’s don’t… the batter stayed crispy! That’s right, even after a good soaking of vinegar the batter kept its crunch and not only that but it closely hugged the fish like it was its best friend rather than hanging off of it like it was some wet paper bag on stick. The fish itself was moist and didn’t crumble on the plate (which has been the majority of my experiences of late), it stayed in segments and had a proper “fish form a chippy” taste (again a rarity).
The other bonus was the price. Quite a few chippies these days are really charging over the odds but I think the prices here were very reasonable. There is also a lot of chip shop staples on the menu including the now classic “Battered Mars Bar” (something I’ll be having on my next visit).
As I’ve already mentioned this place was a big part of my childhood and going back again has made me realise that you don’t always have to go forward to find enjoyment, sometimes the best things are what we’ve left behind and it doesn’t hurt to go back and pick them up again every once in a while.
