Tom Kerridge previously justified why his restaurant charged more than £30 for a plate of fish and chips.
The TV chef and host of the BBC’s Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain claimed at the time that the dish was worth every penny.
And you’d hope it would be mighty tasty at that price, eh!
Tom Kerridge on his very pricey fish supper
Talking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival in 2019, the celebrity chef was asked why his restaurant charged so much for one of the most famous dishes in the UK.
The British dish sold for £32.50 at Tom Kerridge’s Bar and Grill at the Corinthia Hotel in London.
But according to the Michelin-starred chef, the figure was “easily justifiable”. So here’s how Tom came to the controversial price point…
‘Incredibly expensive potatoes’
At the time, Tom defended the expensive dish. He insisted it was made with fresh dayboat turbot, the finest quality potatoes and a fruity Matson sauce.
The famous seaside meal is served with individually hand cut chips from “incredibly expensive potatoes” and half a lemon.
The fruity Matson sauce is named in honour of the curry sauce he remembers having as a child from his local chippy, now closed, on the Matson estate in Gloucester.
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‘One of the greatest dishes in the world’
According to The Guardian he said: “If you break it down, it is easily justifiable.”
“From my point of view, fish and chips is one of the greatest dishes in the world. There are Japanese three-Michelin star restaurants that are doing tempura, that are specialising in amazing pieces of fish that are deep fried and served and cost the earth,” Tom then added.
“Why can’t we get the best fish in the world and create the best batter, deep fry it and serve it with amazing potatoes?”
The chef added that if he had opted to put pan-roasted turbot with pomme puree and a sauce gribiche on the menu for £32.50 instead of fish and chips, “no one would question anything”.
He then added: “Oprah Winfrey was in a few weeks ago and she had Matson sauce. I love the fact Oprah Winfrey has had fish and chips with Matson sauce. So she knows Matson.”
The dish isn’t currently on the menu at the eatery. However, Cornish plaice is, and that’ll set you back £45!
Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain is on Sunday (July 28) at 11.5am on BBC Two.
So would you pay £32.50 for posh fish and chips? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.