Hip Hop Chip Shop in Manchester named second best in the UK

Ahead of National Fish and Chip Day on 2 June, Manchester’s Hip Hop Chip Shop has been named the second best fish and chip shop in the country, according to a new study.

The Ancoats kitchen and bar is known for being the only place in Manchester where you can catch a live music or DJ set while you enjoy your chippy tea. Hip Hop Chip Shop also has a van that is available for hire at private events and festivals. Outside of the summer festival season, the van has a pop-up residency at the Carlton Club in Whalley Range.

Their menu includes all the chip shop staples – fish, chips, sausages, pies, mushy peas – as well as some twists on the classics, such as curry batter fish bites, battered gherkins and bombay chips.They also have a good range of halloumi and vegan alternatives.

The study, conducted by Betway, looked at Google and Tripadvisor reviews, combined with the number of hashtags each spot has on Instagrams. Hip Hop Chip Shop had the highest Google rating of the top ten, the third highest number of Instagram hashtags and the fifth highest number of ‘excellent’ Tripadvisor reviews.

Narrowly beating Hip Hop Chip Shop for the top spot was the high-end Mayfair Chippy, where their classic fish and chip dish will set you back £15 – slightly more than Hip Hop Chip Shop’s £13.50 per main. The Mayfair Chippy also has a restaurant menu, which includes a whole range of seafood such as crab, oysters and mussels.

There is one other Manchester spot on the list, which is also located in Ancoats. Tony’s Chippy on Piercy Street is a traditional chippy that has been serving the local community, and passing foot traffic to and from from the nearby Etihad stadium, for decades. Tony’s came in at number seven, with an impressive 4.6 rating on Google.

What has Hip Hop Chip Shop said?

Acknowledging their ranking success on Instagram, Hip Hop Chip Shop thanked customers for their support during what has been a difficult few years for the hospitality industry following the pandemic and cost of living crisis.

The Instagram post reads:  “It is always nice to get any sort of recognition of course. This was a surprise bit of promo. I am proud of how we’ve managed to survive, given the circumstances.”

However, they also noted that their only “wee gripe” is that the study was conducted by a betting company as a means of promotion, adding: “But if the validity of their methodology to calculate the scores is consistent and stands up to testing and we did indeed come out very nearly on top then we are still doing, at least something right.”