Cheap and warm
For decades, chip shops wrapped portions in old newspaper. It was cheap, kept the food warm and was easy to come by. Usually the food sat on a layer of plain paper first, with newspaper on the outside.
Why it stopped
From around the 1980s, concerns about printing ink and hygiene meant chip shops moved to plain paper and purpose-made packaging.
Today
Some chip shops and vans use paper printed to look like newspaper, as a nod to tradition. At events, fish and chips is served from the hatch in paper, trays or boxes, ready to eat on the spot.
Paper today
Today’s chip-shop paper is usually plain, food-safe paper, sometimes printed with a newspaper-style design for nostalgia. Many shops and vans also use cardboard trays and boxes, which are easier to eat from on the go.
Eating out of the paper
For many people, fish and chips eaten out of the paper, on a sea wall or a park bench, is part of the experience. At events, guests often prefer something easier to hold, but the spirit is the same: hot, fresh food eaten outdoors with friends.
The smell of the seaside
Ask almost anyone about fish and chips and they’ll describe a place: a seafront, a pier, a harbour wall. That connection is part of why fish and chips works so well at events. It brings back good memories.
A very British habit
Wrapping food in newspaper wasn’t unique to fish and chips, but it became one of the most famous images of British food. Comedians, songwriters and novelists have all used the image of fish and chips in yesterday’s news. The phrase “today’s news is tomorrow’s fish and chip paper” is still used to mean that stories are quickly forgotten.
Quick answers
Is newspaper still used?
Not for food contact. Some places use printed paper that looks like it.
Why was newspaper used?
It was cheap, plentiful and kept the food warm.
Planning an event? Tell us about it and we’ll check the date and send a quote.