Wemyss Bay, Scotland
When my grandfather spoke of his time in the United Kingdom, he always spoke fondly of getting fish and chips while he was there in the service. Pop pointed out that fish and chips were everywhere and that, when I got the chance, I should get some. From someone who loved fried fish his entire life, I knew that Pop was paying the ultimate compliment to his former deployment home.
When we went on our honeymoon to London, I made sure to order fish and chips and picked some up in South London near our hotel. Reasonably priced, reasonably greasy, and wrapped in paper, the fish and chips were okay. I could understand why Pop liked them, especially compared to the shortages and rations that would have been present in most other food items. On subsequent trips to the United Kingdom, I would try to order fish and chips at least once, mainly because it was tasty, but also to remember my grandfather.
At this point in our trip, we had been in the United Kingdom for over two weeks, and I had not been to a proper chippy. We either weren’t near a takeaway restaurant, or the ones nearby were closed when we arrived. Fortunately for us, Macari’s of Wemyss Bay was close to the Wemyss Bay Ferry Terminal and to our Airbnb. We were there on a Friday night, and Fridays are notoriously busy for fish restaurants worldwide. We stood in line, placed our order, and drove it back to our Airbnb.
The fish was well cooked and well battered. Lots of British cuisine can lack seasoning, but the malt vinegar can be a positive with the fish and the chips. Macari’s did not include mushy peas; I didn’t particularly miss that side dish. The chips were quite plentiful, but don’t eat too many, as they can sit rather heavily in your stomach. Macari’s also sold pasta, so it was a decent stop for my non-fish-eating traveling companions.
Fish and chips is an excellent option, especially in a seaside town like Wemyss Bay. I’m usually a fan of whatever fish features prominently. The fish and chips were delicious and reasonably priced. The day we bought them, it happened to be my late grandfather’s birthday. There is no better way that we could have cherished Pop’s memory than to eat some fish and chips. I’m grateful he shared this memory and that I could remember this part of him on his birthday.
