Mint.....Do you like Fish & Ships ?

[alittlebitfrench]

I was feeling a bit down this morning so I went on the Anglo idiot website to cheer me up. Sure enough they did.

There was a thread there about someone who wants to 'up root' their family in the UK and move to the Dordogne (wherever that is) and run a mobile fish and ships van.

It was a very funny thread. One poster said ' don't you think there are enough people selling English stuff in the Dordogne ? ?????.

Up rooting your family and moving to the Dordogne to open a fish and ships business must be the dumbest idea in the world. Closely followed by a gite business. Or am I missing the point. Can you earn a living selling fish and chips in the Dordogne and support a family ? Methinks not.

So Mint will you be a customer ?

[Jonzjob]

There is a very popular F&C van just south of us and a large part of the customers seem to be French. It's been going for several years now, but I can't find it and wonder if they are atill there?

[mint]

Bonjour, ALBF, nice to see you back[:)]  So, have you finished building your home cinema (deffo not very French) and are back in Paris?

No, don't think I will be a customer and there are no fish and ships van within a radius of, I would think, 80 to 100 kms.  Don't know[:$]

I lived in a seaside town in the UK with a fish and ships place within 2 minutes' drive and people used to come for miles around to buy the stuff and eat it, sitting by the sea.............

I don't think we bought fish n chips for more than maybe twice a year.  When I look back now, from la France profonde, I think that perhaps we should have patronised the shop more as the fish n chips were really tasty.  I used to buy "3 fish and 1 big chips" (that is, a large portion, enough for both of us adults, not counting the adult cats) but, those were the days; I waited for both cats to die before leaving for France.

Just goes to show you don't appreciate what you have until the time when you can't have it anymore.  I'd pay double now for what we never bothered with.  BUT those were the days when they served real cod or hake and in large portions.

Nowadays I suppose they serve you carp and chips or coley or chips, no more lovely chunky lumps of white cod and equally delicious lumps of hake.

[alittlebitfrench]

Still at home Mint, in the lovely Loire valley. Back to Paris next week. Cinema room is finished, and would you believe with UK telly. Just about to watch F1 qualifying....Not in 3d though....that is had been. Cinema rooms are very French BTW.

I was told that hairdressers in France have to cut about 6-7 people a day before they start earning a living. So you start making money on your eighth cut.

That got me thinking, how many pieces of cod in batter to you have to sell on a mobile fish and ships van before you start to making money ? More importantly, where do mobile fish and ships vans in the Dordogne get their fish from?????

These types of questions keep me awake at night.

[woolybanana]

And bakers, and deliverypeople and .... The French State takes about 60% I reckon when it should be less than 40!

Sure you weren't in the Dordogen, ALBF? I am sure I saw. Large white Mercedes van driving round the area, stopping and looking at the empty properties!

[Judith]

There are some round here, mainly, I suspect, patronised by the English, but since I've never been I wouldn't know that.  They now have regular monthly slots in cafés or bars, who the fish and chip customers buy their drinks from, and since they are repeated ad infinitum and quite a lot of locations (I get the pub as part of another mailing) so they must be popular.

Actually, when they started, we did try going once with a friend, didn't know you were supposed to order in advance and when we got to the beginning of the queue they were waiting for another batch to be cooked and others were in line before us, so we finished our apero (no problem with the bar itself)  and walked up the road to our favourite restaurant and watched the French playing petanque.  Much better idea all round!

[Gardengirl]

We ate fish & chips from these people at a Christmas fair over to the west of the Languedoc, delicious!

http://www.ccfishandchips.com/About-Us.html

[cajal]

[quote user="Jonzjob"]There is a very popular F&C van just south of us and a large part of the customers seem to be French. It's been going for several years now, but I can't find it and wonder if they are atill there?[/quote]

This would appear to be in your 'neck' of the woods.

[idun]

I used to make our fish and chips, amazingly Carrefour often sold beautiful cod in spite of us being in the Alpes.

I would make them for the few english friends we had in France, but mainly for french friends, who all loved them. What they found the most fascinating was that I would put buttered bread on the table....... which opened a whole discussion about butter on bread.

Neighbours from Lille, often butter their bread, other french friends only buttered at breakfast time.......HOWEVER, they all found that me having buttered their bread was unusual, as they all believed it to be an 'intimate' act to butter bread for someone else.

Incidentally, we know quite a few french people who vinegar their chips, and they had never left France, never mind visited the UK.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We had friends who lived a long way from us, about 90kms, and we had to go through a few small towns once away from the autoroute. In one, in the distance, there was a neon sign above a shop and from a distance, looked like the sign you would have outside an old fashioned fish and chip shop.... also the light was spilling onto the pavement...... and we were convinced that it must be a fish and chip shop....... only when we got level with it, it was a quinquillerie........ talk about disappointment, we really were disappointed.

[mint]

No, never vinegar but tomato ketchup......yes, lovely and sweet and sticky and salty.

Never have tomato ketchup now because the only occasion when I would have it was with fish n chips.

[Jonzjob]

[quote user="cajal"][quote user="Jonzjob"]There is a very popular F&C van just south of us and a large part of the customers seem to be French. It's been going for several years now, but I can't find it and wonder if they are atill there?[/quote]

This would appear to be in your 'neck' of the woods.

[/quote]

See Garden Girl's link, they are one and the same.. They have a round and about once a month they appear at Periac Minervois (I think) and you email them with your order and time and it's all fresh and ready for you from what I have been told. They will also appear at yer party if you wish and very good luck to them..

[Chancer]

In my area bread is only eaten buttered when its the cheese course, you know the one before the dessert!

 

And whilst many would eat the cheese without bread nobody would eat it with bread but without butter.

 

If they were offered butter to go with their bread during the main course they would look at you as if (once again) you are from another planet. Never have worked out what its all about.

 

In a restaurant you will be offered butter with the choice of cheeses from the trolley, if you ask for butter for your bread during the main course its alien life form time again.

[cajal]

[quote user="Jonzjob"]

"See Garden Girl's link, they are one and the same.." [/quote]

A caravan it ain't. I think you will find This is a static restaurant, all be it in a basement,  ChezGil @ 32 Route Minervoise, 11000 Carcassonne, France.

From TripAdvisor:

'An intimate fish and seafood restaurant

tucked away in the basement close to the railway station but off the

beaten track. The most delightful fresh fish and seafood cooked by the

chef within view of the restaurant. Reasonable prices an absolute

delight'

[idun]

Buttered bread must be a NE France thing then, know people from all over the rest of France, and apart from petit dej, always have their bread dry.

Fish and chips, I have a wonderful batter recipe for the fish, so well worth making at home if I can get good fish. And I make mushy peas with pois casse, in fact for all I can get dried peas, now prefer making my mushy peas made with pois casse.

Sometimes have ketchup, but rarely, in fact these days only when I make my own burgers, I always put a little on. Which reminds me, about time I make some more, ages since we have had any.

[Jonzjob]

[quote user="cajal"][quote user="Jonzjob"]

"See Garden Girl's link, they are one and the same.." [/quote]

A caravan it ain't. I think you will find This is a static restaurant, all be it in a basement,  ChezGil @ 32 Route Minervoise, 11000 Carcassonne, France.

From TripAdvisor:

'An intimate fish and seafood restaurant

tucked away in the basement close to the railway station but off the

beaten track. The most delightful fresh fish and seafood cooked by the

chef within view of the restaurant. Reasonable prices an absolute

delight'

[/quote]

Cajal, we know Chez Gil well and it is owned by the nephew of a friend and neighbour of ours. We have had numerous lunches there with the village Association de Ancient Combattents, of which I am a member, and the village 3rd age club, of which we are both members and the food and service are both excelent. We have also eaten there of our own choice. They have a well deserved reputation.

But the mobile F&C waggon that GG is on about is definately British owned and very mobile. This is a quote from the 1st para of their "About us' web page

"

About us

CC

Fish & Chips (Chris & Clare) are serving traditional fish &

chips in the Languedoc region. Our regular venues cover an area roughly

from Quillan to Olonzac to Mirepoix although we do venture further

afield."

Have a look at the site, and read it...

http://www.ccfishandchips.com/About-Us.html

Edit : -  On your trip advisor site it mentions that you can watch the food being prepared. This

is the kitchen and the bossman facing and his partner in the white blouse. I took the photo at one of the 3rd age lunches.

[URL=http://s47.photobucket.com/user/Jonzjob/media/Johns/Chez%20Gil%20kitchen_edited-1_zpsgvfteatu.jpg.html][IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Johns/Chez%20Gil%20kitchen_edited-1_zpsgvfteatu.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[NormanH]

CC

Fish & Chips (Chris & Clare) are serving traditional fish &

chips in the Languedoc region. Our regular venues cover an area roughly

from Quillan to Olonzac to Mirepoix although we do venture further

afield."

Have a look at the site, and read it...

http://www.ccfishandchips.com/About-Us.html

Is one I have tried. The quality of the fish is excellent, the portions are large, and it is cooked to order so doesn't hang about.

For some peculiar reason they offer curry sauce which in my day was unheard-of with fish and chips.

[idun]

 I know that they were serving curry sauce in my part of NE England in the mid 70's and probably were much earlier, but that was when I abandoned my parents home, and subsequently used fish and chip shops from time to time.

As I came from a home where fish and chips, very good ones were made at home, I would not have known earlier......... the chippy was somewhere that we only used rarely and that was often for a bag of chips in a cone shaped bag, to feed hungry kids on the way home from somewhere....... and was a real treat, all that vinegar at the bottom of the bag.[Www]

[lindal1000]

There's already a fish and chip van operating in the South of the Dordogne. It parks outside the local bar on Thursday nights and does quite well by all accounts. I've never tried it because like Mint I rarely used to eat it in UK. The van's been around for several years but it's gone through several different owners.

[Loiseau]

Diverting briefly back to the butter discussion on the previous page, the only dishes I have been offered butter with in the Vendée have been grilled sardines, and oysters.

[alittlebitfrench]

@ Lindal

It has gone through several owners Lindal because it is a dumb business idea. I bet 99 percent of gite businesses in the Dordogne have gone through several owners. The reason being YOU CAN'T EARN A LIVING.

I have a great idea for a good food van business and it will work. BRILLIANT for a ski resort.

[Judith]

I think the CC van etc will be the one operating around here, definitely serves lots of villages and is definitely mobile.  And will do your party. Not used them though.

[idun]

I have never eaten fish and chips much since being an adult, but I really do like them when I have good ones. My biggest disappointment was once in Whitby, where a recommended fish restaurant was not up to my local chippy to be honest........ not the Magpie, never eaten there....... cannot be bothered to queue, and that queue may well be worth it[:)]

And they were something that sometimes we really did fancy in France, so as soon as I saw good fish, I would make them, often I just have the fish, but for me, lovely cod with a good crispy batter is delicious.

Just wondering why you anyone would not fancy them, unless they didn't like fish..... or like a friend of mine who has now been on a 47 year diet (not kidding) and would not touch them at any price....... and she is not anorexic or super thin either[Www]

[mint]

It's not that I don't like them.  There is no such van as discussed round here and do not like them enough to do a round trip of maybe 100 km to eat them.

As for eating them in the UK, I suppose living practically on the doorstep, well, 2 minutes' drive, can't be bothered to queue and perhaps also taking them a bit for granted.  Plus, all that visible fat.

If I had a chip pan and can cook them like you, idun, I'd probably use Friday as an excuse to eat them every week!

There are some things that you need to steer clear of because they are too much of a temptation!!!

[lindal1000]

I don't know whether it's because they can't make a living as such (like I say they always seem to busy), or whether they underestimate the amount of work you have to put in. If you are imagining a quiet life where you sell your fish a chips at a few markets and put your feet up for the rest of the time then it certainly isn't that! Neither is running gites . It's really hard work all through the season where you want to be enjoying the sun.

[richard51]

1.

To answer whether I like fish and chips the answer is yes.

However, in terms of quality of outlets supplying them, its a bit like restaurants. They may be wonderful under a particular owner, but can change to rubbish under another. Or - perhaps when they become established under the same owner, they just fleece the gullible.

Nothing in the food trade remains static.

2.

For billionaire ALBF (he must be as he has so much knowledge about making money in business) could I just point out that a "living" is perhaps different to different people and "making it" isn't always about money. NB I don't hug trees.

3.

In our area in the UK, if we have been out and need a quick meal, then there are many options for takeaways within striking distance of our house.Fish and chips is probably our preferred option. In France we have never had takeaway fish and chips - have had sea bass etc with a side dish of chips at the house though. Not really been in our French house for so long as to crave anything British.

4.

Food can be very much a snobbish thing.