Will Eric's Fish and Chip restaurant be a seaside delight?
Food
Taking 'nipping down the chippy' to a whole new level, Eric's has gone further than the classic 'battered cod and chips'.
The menu offers a huge variety of fish cooked in a myriad of different ways plus an extensive list of unusual extras. There's a cucumber salad and a battered gherkin (which in retrospect I wish I'd tried.) Having looked the place up online, I was excited to visit. It's clear from the off the place has its own unique atmosphere. I love getting a takeaway, especially one with a bit of edge.
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Full disclaimer: I am not a fish fan.
So it may seem a tad ironic that I'm reviewing fish and chips.
I would argue I'm the ideal candidate, rather than getting lured in by any old bait, I can only be wooed by something pretty remarkable. Typically my version of 'fish and chips' is less fish, more chips. Occasionally i'll have a bite of my significant other's fish, but only if it looks particularly fresh and clean.
Turns out Eric's was the fish fantasy I didn't realise I'd been looking for my entire life. I had the pleasure of a unique and unprecented hearty vegetarian component alongside my chips: gruyere and spinach arancini.
I was apprehensive about whether or not I'd like them. The verdict? I can't sufficiently put into words just how delicious those three giant balls of deep fried goodness were. The gruyere wasn't over-powering, perfectly balanced with the spinach to give a delicate flavour, cut by the crispy coating on the outside. Luckily, they weren't greasy although they felt thoroughly indulgent and naughty.
The chips were very good, although not spectacular, I would be hard pushed to set them apart from any other high quality chip shop.
My boyfriend was enthusiastic (for once) at the idea of taking a break from cod. As a huge seafood lover, he plumped for his all time favourite - beer battered king prawns. Like the arancini they weren't greasy and captured a scrumptious yet elusive flavour, salty with a hint of paprika.
Portions were ideally sized and we both found the food at Eric's of the ilk of those extraordinary, once in a lifetime dishes that you remember the taste of forever, never quite being able to capture it again.
Ambience
Eric's is about as cool as they come yet not so cool that you'll feel out of place. Full of families and a wide range of ages and demographics, you can eat inside with plate service or take away. We 'took away' but only as far as one of the many picnic benches outside.
Drink
Serving Brewdog beer, a variety of a soft drinks and an almighty wine list, it's 5/5 for being able to eat your fish and chips in the sunshine with an alcoholic drink. Brewdog beer perfectly compliments too.
Service
There are different tills for takeaway and eating in. Our server was very chatty and sweet. We were given a buzzer to let us know when our order was ready. We only waited for about five minutes which seemed more than reasonable considering it was a very busy Saturday night.
Loos
The toilets reminded me a tiny bit of a cell, with dark blue walls and an effect adorning them that gave the impression they were wet and, with no windows, they were actually a little bit scary. They had lovely soft hand towels though.
Parking
There is plenty of free parking on the lot were Eric's is situated.
Location
This chippy is certainly tricky to find! We got lost for quite a while and ended up going into a shop to ask. It's just out of Thornham itself, part of Drove Orchards, a delightful little cluster of buildings including a play park and farmshop.
Price
Perhaps slightly more expensive than your typical fish and chip shop but oh so worth it. If you're eating in, the arancini or king prawns with chips comes to £6 each and cod and chips goes as high as £9.50. To take away, the arancini or king prawns with chips only costs £4 and cod and chips is a very good £7.
Highlight
One hundred per cent the arancini!
In Summary
Eric's feels like a treat. You can't beat eating a British classic with a twist outside in the sunshine, the whole vibe of the place is delightful.
This is an independent review.
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