
Pubs sell fish and chips and beer at 1945 prices to celebrate VE Day
A patriotic pub sold fish and chips at 1945 prices on Thursday to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
For one hour, The Bell Hotel in Winslow, Buckinghamshire, sold battered cod with chips and mushy peas for just 8p.
Landlord Phil Gomm, 63, was expecting to sell 150 servings of the traditional supper, and said the pub was 'well packed' ahead of lunchtime trading.
'When you look back at the Second World War, fish and chips was one of the main meals everyone had,' he said.
'The potatoes were a good quantity from the fields of Great Britain, and fish was an easy product to obtain. The Bell is subsidising the costs in good faith for those who gave their lives.
'It is us saying thank you for keeping Great Britain as Great Britain. Without those servicemen and women, we wouldn't be here today.'
He added: 'It is something that should never ever be put to the back burner and forgotten. We would hope that would prevent the nastiness and venom of wars in different nations today.'
'It needs celebrating'
In Ilkley, West Yorkshire, The Flying Duck's pub landlord, Gerard Simpson, 51, lowered the cost of its Wharfedale Brewery Gold beer to just 7p per pint.
The pub is selling the first 80 pints of the beer, which usually costs £4.80, at 1945 prices.
Gerard, whose 21-year-old son Harry serves in the Army, said he hoped pubgoers would give to charity 'generously'.
'The world would be completely different if it wasn't for today,' he said. 'As veterans pass away, it just seems to be getting forgotten on a year-by-year basis and it needs celebrating.
'I just hope people give generously and don't just give the seven pence, we're taking no money at all for the Gold today, and at the end of the day all the money's going into a collection pot for the Royal British Legion.
'The work they do is absolutely fantastic. My own son is in the British military and I just think it's important that there is a fund there to look after these veterans, whether they be old or young, whether they've got physical injuries or mental injuries.
'They also look after the families, I just think they do a fantastic job.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Fury over Angela Rayner's push for new workers' rights law as firms warn ‘final nail in the coffin' for small businesses
LABOUR'S push to expand union rights will be the "nail in the coffin" for small businesses, entrepreneurs warned today. Firms slammed Deputy PM Angela Rayner's proposed workers' rights law as 'one of the most damaging proposals ever aimed" at the sector. Under 'pernicious' new rules, union chiefs would be given a legal right to enter any workplace, such as a bakery or hair salon, to recruit and organise. Access to small and medium businesses would be enforceable even against an employer's will, and bosses could be threatened with fines. Meanwhile, the 40 per cent vote threshold for union recognition could be slashed to just 2 per cent of staff. Furious entrepreneurs blasted the workers' rights proposals as completely stacking power against the modest employer. They demanded an exemption for small and medium sized firms, who employ 61 per cent of the private sector workforce. John Longworth, Chair of the Independent Business Network, said: 'The automatic right of access for unions to invade SMEs is one of the most pernicious aspects of the Employment Rights Bill. 'This is all about union power and union income. 'It's likely to lead to business closures and higher unemployment.' Roger Walters, Founder of Supercity Aparthotels, said: 'This Bill is just another pop at capitalism. 'If it's not defeated, Great Britain will become another Russia or North Korea.' John Elliott, Founder of EBAC Dehumidifiers, added: 'This is bad . 'We all agree employees should have rights, but we need to explain to the public that employers have rights too. 'It should be an equal relationship.'


The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Britain's ‘cheapest chippy' selling fish & chips for just 45p – but you'll have to be quick
FISH and chip lovers have the chance to enjoy their favourite treat for an astonishingly cheap price soon - but for a very limited time only. 2 2 Mother Hubbard's, often branded the country's most famous chippy, is offering a limited-time price to mark the opening of a new branch in Coventry. Customers can enjoy a traditional fish and chips for just 45p when the city centre store opens on June 14. The exclusive offer pays a special homage to the iconic chippy's history. Mother Hubbard's first ever store opened in Bradford back in 1972, and has since expanded across the country. But back when the Bradford chippy opened, the price of a classic fish dinner would sell for 45p. It's for this reason the store has set its special new offer at that price. But customers will have to be quick if they want to take advantage of the deal. The new Coventry store will sell fish and chips at this price just to the first 1,000 customers through its doors on opening day. It means anyone looking to cash in on the deal will likely have to get to the store as quickly as possible. The chippy will hold its grand opening on Saturday, June 14 - with doors opening at 11am. The new Coventry Mother Hubbard's told social media followers: "Exciting news, Coventry! "Get ready to dive into nostalgia as Mother Hubbard's lands in Coventry! "Join us on Saturday, June 14, for our grand opening and snag some classic fish and chips for just 45p—the original 1972 price-for the first 1000 guests! "When: 11am - 11pm. Where: 11-13 The Burges, Coventry CV1 1HH. "Don't miss this tasty blast from the past! Join us for a celebration filled with delicious bites and the essence of classic English cuisine." Mother Hubbard's website says: "Fish and Chips are loved by every generation. Are you looking for crispy batter on the tastiest fish, succulent chips & perfect mushy peas? "Look no further than Mother Hubbard's and indulge in the finest traditional fish and chips in the area. "The First Mother Hubbard's fish & chips restaurant on Ingleby Road, Bradford, was completed at a cost of £92,000 in 1972. It was opened on May 3, 1972 by Coronation Street favourites, Stan and Hilda Ogden. At that time, fish and chips were served at just 45p per portion."


The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
I tried the UK's best fish and chips with secret batter ingredient and the right way to add salt and vinegar
MUNCHING on a mouthful of cod, the fish is light and melts in my mouth, while the batter is crispy and surprisingly grease-free. I'm at Yarm Road Fish and Chips in Darlington, which was crowned the UK's best fish and chip shop this year by the National Federation of Fish Fryers (NFFF), to see what the secret behind the takeaway's success is. 6 6 6 I ask owner Will Burrell what the special ingredient is that makes his fish so tasty as I take another bite. I'm shocked to discover it's beef dripping, which is what the fillets are fried in. It's National Fish and Chips day today (June 6), and thousands of us are expected to tuck into the British staple to celebrate. The classic combo remains one of the nation's favourite meals. Brits spend £2 billion on takeaway fish and chips every year, according to the NFFF. It's only 11:20 in the morning, and the first customers of the day are starting to walk through Yarm Road Fish and Chip's doors. The takeaway has been here for eight years, and is run by Will, 30, and his parents Julie, 56, and Graeme, 62. Between them, they have 27 years of experience in the business. Every week, the shop serves 1,200 customers and Friday is their busiest day, when they usually serve 600 hungry locals. Although their menu includes beef burgers, chicken burgers and even halloumi fries, it's the premium Icelandic cod and chips that customers crave, said Will. 'It's our most popular order, it flies out through the door.' Will said. 'Fish and chips is a comfort food and ingrained in British culture - it's here to stay.' Secret to success 6 6 6 Customers are piling into the shop for their lunch, including regular customer John Wood, 65, from Middelton St George. He's ordering his favourite meal, cod and chips, and visits the takeaway once a fortnight. 'I usually get a small portion, but sometimes I get a large if I'm feeling hungry - I don't let the missus know though. 'I'm a truck driver so I go to fish and chips around the country, and this is the best one. 'The chips are excellent, and the batter on the fish isn't soggy and doesn't taste of old oil, which is what you get sometimes at other places. 'The prices are decent, and the portions are a really good size.' A regular portion of fish and chips costs £9.90 at Yarm Road Fish and Chips, 48p less than the national average of £10.38, according to the Office for National Statistics. The shop is able to keep prices affordable for customers because portion sizes are closely monitored and fish is cooked to order, which helps to minimise food waste. 'We're not shoving in chips and we weigh portions of fish so we can make sure our margins are right,' Will says. However, it has had to hike prices of all of its menu items by around 10% since 2020, when the cost of ingredients, energy bills, and staff wages all began to rocket. Despite the cost pressures, Yarm Road Fish and Chips is thriving, but other shops have been less lucky. Some 1,500 shops have had to close their doors over the past 15 years according to NFFF. Regular customer Scott Henderson, 56, who is a gas engineer from Blaydon, has come in to pick up his regular order of four cod bites, a side of curry sauce, and a fizzy drink for £6.50 at least once a week. 'It's good value and the staff are great, I know all their names and which football teams they support because I've been coming here for six years,' he said. 'The chips are chunky and cooked perfectly because they're crispy on the outside and fluffy on the middle, and the fish is always fresh. "The curry sauce you get from other places can be a bit like green water, but it has a bit of texture and spice here.' Donna Hodgson, 63, works at a nearby sheltered housing scheme and is here to pick up 12 portions of fish and chips for hungry residents. 'The fish is hot, light and fresh, and the batter is gorgeous,' she said. 'The staff are also lovely." Customers go wild for the free batter scraps that are dished out with every portion. 'Our customers either get a bag of them or we sprinkle it over the fish and chips. It's a real regional tradition, if you don't give out scraps you wouldn't do very well." Will says the secret behind the shop's great tasting cod is that the fish is frozen on the boat to keep it fresh and preserve flavour. Once the fish arrives at the shop, it's cooked to order and fried in beef dripping. To get the best flavour out of your meal, Will advises adding vinegar before the salt. I followed his advice, and it made a real difference to my meal. The vinegar is less overpowering this way, and doesn't mask the salty flavour you want from a fish and chips tea. My only regret is that I haven't been using his trick sooner - and I'll be sure to do it every time now.