Deep fried battered buns - The teatime treat being served up by Sunderland chippy as traditional dish fills up a new generation
and live on Freeview channel 276
The Hut Traditional Fish and Chips, in Warwick Terrace in Silksworth, has often sold out the dish after the delicacy found new a following on social media.
A bread bun, sliced and filled with chips and topped with curry sauce or gravy, is then closed, dipped in batter and deep fried, with the result a crispy carb-fest of a lunch or dinner.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe shop also offers an ‘extras’ version, where other items are added such as a burger, cheese, chilli or beans – even Mars Bars during a Christmas offer – with the business promising: “You name it, we will put it in a bun and batter it.”
The shop is one of just a few in the area to make them, with customers travelling in from across Sunderland and East Durham to put in their order at the 86-year-old business.
It even runs a ‘Battered Bun Day Monday’ special, where they are sold at a knockdown price of 50p, a drop from £1.50.
The business is run by Carole and Mark Robe, who are helped by June Hoggarth and Catlin Lancaster, with the shop leased from Kevin Sloanes, who also owns The Bay in Seaburn.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“I think it’s just something from years back,” said Carole, who has worked at the shop for 17 years.
"The shop has always done them, we’re a traditional fish shop and this is something we’ve always traditionally done.
"We put them on our social media the other night and we sold out, we had a run on buns with people coming from everywhere.
"They come out really crunchy, they’re not greasy, and people love them.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"They’ve definitely become more popular recently and not many places will make them, I think because they’re cheap.
"The work lads come in and get one on top of curry sauce and chips, they just eat it all with their hands – we offer forks, but they say they’ll just chow down.”
Its other dishes include a Beanie, which the shop hand-makes by putting beans in the middle of sausage meat which is then battered and fried.