The Bay Fish and Chips shop in coastal Scottish town wins spot in Lonely Planet's Ultimate Eatlist
Eating fish and chips and drinking a bottle of Irn-bru on a pebble-strewn beach in northeast Scotland has been named one of the world’s top food experiences.
It comes as travel gurus Lonely Planet release their Ultimate Eatlist, a collection of the world’s most thrilling and famous culinary experiences.
The Bay Fish and Chips shop, in Stonehaven, was named as Britain’s highest ranking entry, coming in at number 31.
The list celebrates and ranks the world's top 500 food experiences and includes facts about the culture behind it, and what makes it so special.
Speaking to ITV News, the owner of The Bay Fish and Chips Calum Richardson said "It's overwhelming and quite humbling if I'm honest.
"I didn't know about it until I saw someone had tweeted the news out but it's a huge honour."
Mr Richardson placed the success of his shop down to his "solid staff" and unique setting.
"Stonehaven is a quaint place to be in, it was originally a fishing village, so it's just nice to walk along the beach with the boats and a plate of chips."
According to Lonely Planet, it was the setting surrounding the chip shop in Aberdeenshire which gave them the a place in the top 50.
The guide said: "Its pebble-strewn beach traces a kilometre-long bay; sailing boats bob in the harbour; rockpools teem with crabs and sea stars; gulls ride on the breeze; and in the distance, the leaden horizon of the North Sea. Completing the scene, halfway along the beach is The Bay Fish & Chips, whose fish is wild-caught from Marine Stewardship Council-certified stocks.
"Considering the setting, the sustainability and the beautifully cooked fish, is it the best fish and chip shop in the world? The constant queue suggests so."
Twenty-nine of the 500 featured experiences came from across the UK and Ireland, and include smoked salmon in the Outer Hebrides at number 39, a Sunday roast in a pub at number 59 and crab sandwiches in Norfolk at number 80, a balti in Birmingham came in at 383 and chicken tikka masala in Glasgow squeezed in to number 450.
Irish Stew in Dublin is Ireland’s highest entry at number 47.
Sampling pintxos along the grid of narrow streets in San Sebastián’s old town, in Spain, was named the best food experience in the world, followed by curry laksa in Kuala Lumpur at and sushi in Tokyo.
The top 10 ranked experiences are:
Pintxos in San Sebastián, Spain
Curry laksa in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Sushi in Tokyo, Japan
Beef brisket in Texas, USA
Som tum in Bangkok, Thailand
Smørrebrød in Copenhagen, Denmark
Crayfish in Kaikoura, New Zealand
Bibimbap in Seoul, South Korea
Pizza margherita in Naples, Italy
Dim sum in Hong Kong
A list of food some of the top experiences across the UK and Ireland:
Fish and chips on Stonehaven Beach (#31, Scotland)
Absolute peace in a Scottish salmon smokehouse (#39, Outer Hebrides, Scotland)
A bowl of Irish stew and a pint of the black stuff (#47, Dublin, Ireland)
Sunday pub roast (#59, UK)
Crab sandwiches (#80, Norfolk, England)
Cream tea in an English country garden (#100, England)
Taste the sunniest season with summer pudding (#107, England)
Scotch egg at Fortnum & Mason (#132, London, England)
Khichari at The Wolseley - a taste of the Raj at London’s smartest breakfast venue (#144, London, England)
Haggis - revel in a Burns Night knees-up with its unique centrepiece (#162, Scotland)
Arbroath smokies - with a side-order of fresh air (#163, Arbroath, Scotland)
Pork pie: the pork, jelly, pastry staple of UK pubs and pie shops (#186, UK)
Full English breakfast (#219, London, England)
Linger loch-side with a plate of fresh langoustines (#221, Ullapool, Scotland)
Explore under the arches at London’s Maltby St Market (#229, London, England)