It may serve good traditional fish and chips but Ewell’s new restaurant and takeaway, the Major Plaice, is by no means just your regular chippie.
On the menu, alongside cod and mushy peas, are fish of all shapes and sizes from Scottish salmon fillet and whitebait in breadcrumbs to lemon sole and quality huss.
After its grand opening last month, I went down to the restaurant and opted for its namesake, a fillet of plaice, served with chips fried in groundnut oil, bread and butter and salad.
The fish was piping hot and tasty while the chips were chunky and firm but there was nothing pretentious or fancy about the meal.
And although the ceiling was sky blue with ornate light fittings, the restaurant had a comfortable and informal atmosphere.
Owner Sahin Agirbas, dressed in a black waistcoat and tie, was clearly serious about fish and chips.
He said: "What I don’t appreciate in the industry is fish and chips not being taken seriously by way of introducing higher standards. I’m very proud to be in the business and I take pride in what I do."
He said fish and chips should not be known for being sold at ‘shabby takeaways’ and ‘chippies’.
He said: "It should be traditional cuisine in a place where you can wine and dine and get the upmost pleasure out of it."
The design on the table was inspired by the newspapers sometimes used to wrap fish and chips, but the only real newspapers in sight were a few neatly folded Epsom Guardians on the side.
After I left the Major Plaice, I walked down Ewell High Street and spotted a lone chip lying on the pavement. It seems news of the fish and chip shop has already spread.
Mr Agirbas already owns another fish and chip restaurant and takeaway, the Posh Plaice, in Tattenham Corner as well as the Silver Spoon Diner situated opposite.
By chance I had a fulsome English ‘racing breakfast’ at the diner on my way to the Epsom Derby this year. The Major Plaice gave all its first day’s takings of £1,475, plus £20 from their coffee supplier, to the mayor’s three charities MERU, Epsom Phab and the Sunnybank Trust.
The charities provide equipment, activities and support for young people with disabilities and the Epsom Guardian has a Shine On appeal to help the Sunnybank Trust.
To eat in, plaice and chips costs £10.50 and a small cod and chips costs £7.95. Fish dishes are served with salad, bread and butter, pickled onions, gherkins, lemon and tartar sauce.
OAPs small cod and chips with bread and butter and a drink costs £5.95 (11am to 4.30pm Monday to Saturday)
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