Celebrate National Fish & Chip Day 2026 with a simple homemade fish and chips recipe featuring crisp curry batter, beef dripping chips and Goldfish Curry Dip. 

A Golden Way to Celebrate National Fish & Chips Day 

There are few British food traditions quite as comforting, nostalgic and joyfully dependable as fish and chips. Wrapped in paper by the seaside, eaten from laps on a Friday night, shared around the kitchen table after a long week, or served with proper ceremony on a plate with peas, salt and vinegar: fish and chips have a way of bringing people together. For National Fish & Chips Day 2026, which takes place on Friday 5th June 2026, we are celebrating with a homemade version that keeps things simple, crisp and wonderfully golden.

The annual day was created to celebrate all things fish and chips and to recognise the importance of the fish and chip industry across the UK. This recipe is all about making great fish and chips at home without overcomplicating things.

Crisp battered cod, easy beef dripping chips from the supermarket, salt, vinegar, and a generous portion of  our Goldfish Curry Dip, made specifically to be the perfect companion to fish and chips. And, because this is Goldfish, there is one little twist in the batter too: a spoonful of Goldfish Brand Chinese Curry Concentrate, stirred straight into the flour, cornflour and sparkling water batter to give the fish a beautiful golden colour and a gentle savoury warmth.

Simple. Crisp. Golden. 

A Brief History of Fish & Chips 

Fish and chips may feel as though they have always been part of British life, but the dish as we know it became popular in the 19th century. Fried fish and fried potatoes each had their own routes into British food culture before coming together as the meal that would become one of the nation’s most loved dishes. One of the earliest fish and chip shops in the North of England is thought to have opened in Mossley, near Oldham, Lancashire, around 1863, where Mr Lees sold fish and chips from a wooden hut before moving into a permanent shop.

Over time, fish and chips became more than just a meal. They became part of working-class food culture, seaside holidays, Friday night rituals and family traditions. Affordable, filling and comforting, fish and chips were the kind of food that could feed a family, gather people around the table and turn an ordinary evening into something a little bit special.

The National Federation of Fish Friers, first established in 1913, has represented and promoted the UK fish and chip trade for more than a century, a sign of just how deeply this dish sits within British food culture. There is something wonderfully democratic about fish and chips. It belongs to everyone. It can be eaten on a windswept promenade, in the car after a long day, at the kitchen table with grandparents, or from a tray on the sofa during a family film night. It is comfort food with a national postcode.

Why Curry Sauce Belongs with Fish & Chips 

Fish & chips already has its classic companions: salt, vinegar, mushy peas, tartare sauce, ketchup, pickled onions if you are feeling bold. But curry sauce has quickly earned its place at the table. A good curry sauce brings warmth, sweetness, savoury spice and a silky texture that works beautifully with crisp batter and fluffy chips. It turns each bite into something a little more rounded. The crunch of the fish, the soft potato, the vinegar sharpness, the salt, the curry warmth. It all works.

For this recipe, we are using the new Goldfish Curry Dip, created specifically with fish & chips in mind. It is made to sit alongside golden battered fish and crisp chips as a proper dipping sauce: rich enough to feel indulgent, smooth enough for dunking, and flavourful enough to make even the simplest plate feel special. It is the perfect finishing touch for National Fish & Chip Day: nostalgic, familiar and a little bit exciting.

The Secret to Golden Curry Batter 

The batter for this recipe is beautifully simple: flour, cornflour and sparkling water. 

The flour gives structure, the cornflour helps keep the batter light and crisp, and the sparkling water creates that airy texture you want around the fish. 

Then comes the secret ingredient: Goldfish Brand Chinese Curry Concentrate. 

Just a spoonful stirred into the batter gives the cod a gorgeous golden colour and a savoury curry note that complements the fish without overpowering it. The spices in the concentrate bring warmth, fragrance and depth, making the batter taste fuller and more interesting while still keeping the recipe easy.

Simple Curry Batter Fish & Chips with Goldfish Curry Dip 

watch this recipe on Instagram (here)

How To Make Curry Battered Fish & Chips 

1. Heat the frying oil

Start by heating your frying oil to around 180°C. 

You want the oil hot enough that the batter crisps quickly when the fish goes in. If the oil is too cool, the batter can become heavy and greasy. If it is too hot, the outside may brown before the fish is cooked through. 

2. Make the curry batter 

In a bowl, mix together the plain flour and cornflour. 

Add the sparkling water gradually, whisking until you have a smooth batter. You want it thick enough to coat the fish, but not so thick that it becomes heavy. 

Stir in a spoonful of Goldfish Brand Chinese Curry Concentrate. This gives the batter its beautiful golden colour and a gentle curry warmth. 

3. Batter the cod 

Pat the cod pieces dry with kitchen paper. This helps the batter stick properly. 

Dip each piece of cod into the curry batter, making sure it is fully coated. 

Let any excess batter drip off before frying. 

4. Fry until golden and crisp 

Carefully lower the battered cod into the hot oil. 

Fry until the fish is crisp, golden and cooked through. The exact timing will depend on the size and thickness of your fish, but the batter should be deeply golden and the fish should flake easily. 

Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper. 

5. Cook the chips 

For the simplest version, serve with beef dripping chips from the supermarket, cooked according to the packet instructions. 

They give you that rich, chip-shop-style flavour without needing to make chips from scratch. 

6. Serve with Goldfish Curry Dip 

Plate up the crispy curry-battered cod with the beef dripping chips. 

Add a generous portion of Goldfish Curry Dip on the side for dunking, spooning and generally making the plate more glorious. 

Finish with salt, vinegar and lemon wedges if using. 

Serve immediately. 

Fish & Chips: A Family Favourite for a Reason 

Part of the magic of fish & chips is that it rarely feels formal. It is food that invites sharing. Someone always wants an extra chip. Someone always goes back for more vinegar. Someone is always in charge of passing the sauce. 

It is nostalgic without being old-fashioned, simple without being boring, and familiar enough to make everyone feel welcome at the table.

That is why National Fish & Chips Day is such a lovely celebration. It is not just about the food itself, it is about the rituals around it: the Friday night treat, the seaside memory, the family plate, the little ramekin of curry sauce that somehow disappears faster than expected. This homemade version keeps all of that spirit, but makes it easy to recreate at home. Crispy cod. Beef dripping chips. Salt and vinegar. Goldfish Curry Dip. A proper British classic, with a golden curry twist. 

loved this? try our Katsu King Prawn Recipe (here)