By The youth of Faversham innit
In Issue 5's instalment of Tastes of Faversham we sent out some local kids/teenagers to find the town’s best bag of chips.
Our team of grease experts have sampled chips from the town's 8 chip shops, including the 3 kebab shops. Attention was given to the following areas:
the chips - taste, texture, temperature, fattiness, crispness, shape, presentation etc
extras
friendliness
value
The kids, ranging in age from 8 to 16, took a break from their relentless screen time to grab a bag of chips for the benefit of the Faversham Eye readers. This was probably the most difficult Tastes of Faversham to judge so far, with much dispute over what makes a good chip. There is a marked difference between a 'traditional chip' and a 'modern fry', and some of our experts had a strong preference for one or the other. Because of the controversy in opinions we have decided to choose an overall winner & then have noted the highlights/lowlights of the other chippies and kebab shops.
After much discussion our winner is Gaslight, towards the top of Preston Street, otherwise fondly known to one of our families, as Fanny's (as in 'Fanny by Gaslight’). A child's fish & chips costs £3.30 & looks adult sized. Their chips are made traditionally using fresh potatoes rather than using pre-prepared delivered chips which is not necessarily the case at other establishments. They are totally delicious, freshly made, with the right amount of crispiness.
In the centrally located Ossie's you can have a £1 bag or a larger one for £1.80. There’s free chips while you wait and occasionally a free battered sausage. Served very hot, they’re crispy on the outside & soft on the inside. There was some disagreement on whether they are too oily/fatty & one reviewer did use the term ‘chest cloggers’. Also on offer are the tasty wedges, like fried roasties & the drinks are sensibly priced. Smiley staff especially towards females. Very quick service even though it’s usually busy.
Park Fish Bar has recently been repainted in a classy shade of blue & has limited seating outside. The kids portion of chips (£1.10) were soft but tasted decent i.e. not cooked in old oil. There are the fairly standard other chip shop offerings & it’s nice that it’s near the Rec. However it needs to get with the eco times and lose the plastic forks!
Mr. Cod, Lower Road, is a long way down, so check it’s open first. Don’t go by what Google says. For the more adventurous of you, try a masala meal (see picture) - £4.99 for masala cod, small chips, salad and a can of drink. The fish was lovely, the coating (lighter than traditional batter) was really nice. The chips were a good size and nice and crispy. Good value for money. They also do kebabs, pizzas, burgers.
The guy was very friendly, which was nice, as the other customers coming and going didn’t say please or thank you. He has a tough job. There’s a park 5 minutes away where you can sit and eat it. No transfats either. Apparently.
Covering the west side of the town, Ospringe Fish Bar offers both fish & chips & kebabs. Chips are served in £1.80 & £2.80 portions. They weren’t the warmest & probably refried but the shop was quiet at the time.
Faversham Grill is located just over Creek Bridge. A kids portion of chips is £1.40 (£2, £3, & £4 portions also available) to which our taster added a £5 small lamb doner. The traditional style chips were ok, although could be hotter. The kebab meat was a little dry & uninspiring however the service was friendly & warm. If it helps they have a 5 star hygiene rating.
The centrally located Best Kebab does fries rather than chip-shop chips. They're soft, almost soggy, which makes them sound horrible but they're actually delicious. Served piping hot & in generous £1, £1.40 & £2.40 portions. They're already quite salty so no need to add your own. Not too fatty, but still tasty. One reviewer rates them as the best in Faversham. There’s also the option to have chips with cheese/salad/pitta bread. The kebabs, particularly the lamb shish, are very good with good-quality chunks of lamb. The burgers are tasty and come in fresh, sesame-seed buns (see photo). There’s plenty of seating should you wish to eat in & the service not overly friendly but certainly courteous and efficient.
Finally we have the Faversham Kebab House (and excellent restaurant) which is thought to be more of a Faversham institution rather than a takeaway. George, the owner, is a long-standing member of the Faversham community & is it just me, or does anyone else think he should be Mayor one day?
Unfortunately, a few people have said that the standard of the kebabs have gone down recently, possibly something to do with George not being around as much. But getting back to the subject in hand, you get a medium sized portion of golden, thin chips for £1.20. They were hot & well wrapped. The service is very friendly but on this occasion there was quite a long wait to be served. The extras are excellent – best houmous, taramasalata & tabbouleh in town.
Note
The print edition of this story and previous online version stated that Gaslight was not under new ownership, however it appear that the business changed hands at the end of April and is now owned by the owners of Ossies.
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