Build your own fish and chips menu.

Summary/Overview

Fish and chips remain a popular pub dish and Friday-night treat in the UK – and for good reason. The simple combination of soft, flaky fish cocooned in crispy batter and perfectly fried chips, doused in salt and vinegar, has captured hearts across the British Isles for over 160 years.

If you’re planning to introduce a fish and chip night to your restaurant or want to refresh your chip shop offerings, creating a new menu or flyer is a great place to start.

Discover the selection of fish and chip menu ideas on Adobe Express to get your creativity swimming.

What is included in a traditional fish and chips menu?

Smothered in malt vinegar, sprinkled with salt, paired with pickled onion or married with mushy peas. However you dish it up, fish and chips are a staple of British culture. Most fish and chips shop menus feature cod or haddock. But you might sometimes see fried pollock and plaice too.

Fish and chip menus can change depending on regional traditions too. Scraps of batter, brown sauce, gravy and curry sauce are all variations of the same beloved menu. One thing most of us can agree on – it’s often made better when eaten with a wooden fork by the coast.

Alongside the quintessential fish and chips, other chip shop menu heroes might include:

• Sausage (battered or plain)
• Fish cakes
• Pie
• Scampi
• Chicken burgers
• Gravy
• Curry sauce
• Mushy peas
• Garden peas
• Baked beans
• Pickled onion/pickled egg
• Onion rings
• Tartare sauce
• Bread rolls.

Over time, the classic fish and chip menu has evolved to accommodate the modern British diet, bringing more vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options to the table. So, you might want to include some menu alternatives too.

5 fish and chips menu ideas for your chippie.

We’ve been hooked on fish and chips for over a century, but there’s always something new to offer customers.

Our fish and chip menu templates are a great starting point for brainstorming ideas and working from a design. Get inspired and add your own signature style, menu items and branding to make them your own.

Tips to make your fish and chip shop menu stand out.

Whether it’s a seaside treat or a weekend lunch, there are plenty of ways to market your fish and chip menu to customers. Spotlight your menu with the following tips:

1. Opt for some nautical hues.

Fish and chips naturally remind us of the coast. Nautical themes are a tried and tested aesthetic that customers are familiar with. But there are plenty of ways to evoke an old-fashioned fish and chip shop menu without falling into cliché.

Think sophisticated sea blue hues and clear, readable fonts. You can keep it minimalist or include unique illustrations and design features.

2. Go all out with sauces, sides and beverages.

Sides and sauces are often what makes the fish and chip experience unique across the UK. The same applies to your menu. Offering a range of sides, condiments and fun beverages can help make your menu more enticing.

From exotic hot sauces to classic sides like pickled onion, curry sauce and peas, what can you offer that another fish and chip restaurant doesn’t?

Complete the meal with a lineup of tasty drinks. Recommend a craft beer of the month, or set up a tuck shop with cherryade, dandelion and burdock, and milkshakes. You could even offer pick-and-mix sweets with every large bag of chips.

3. Don’t forget your vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free customers.

It’s important to consider customers with different diets. If you can dedicate a fryer solely for vegetarian and gluten-free options, then make sure to pop it on the menu. That way, no one misses out on a delicious chippie tea or pub lunch.

Consider different menu items such as:

• Crispy halloumi
• Battered tofu
• Vegetarian/vegan goujons
• Spiced fish-less cakes
• Onion bhajis
• Fried paneer
• Vegan oyster mushroom ‘calamari’
• Veggie fritters.

4. Take advantage of meal deals.

Meal deals are a popular way to advertise a selection of takeaway items as a whole meal, often with a discount. Fish and chips are already an essential menu combo, so why not branch out with other tempting offerings?

Consider date night deals with drinks for two, family combo meals and starter platters. Think about giving them amusing or memorable titles. For example, ‘Small Fry’ meal deals for kids, extra-large scampi deals that go by ‘The Kraken’ or ‘Great White’ jumbo fish deals.

If you run a fish and chip shop, making posters for your combo meals is a great way to draw attention to your offers. Just make sure each one looks different and eye-catching.

5. Reel in new customers with a menu showcase on Instagram.

Social media is a great way to get the word out about your restaurant, café or fish and chip shop. Generate hype by showcasing your new menu with Instagram reels and Facebook stories.

Don’t worry if you’re camera shy. Your food can be the star. Take some high-quality food photos or videos to help customers visualise your menu – and get their mouths watering. Then get creative with some short reels and stories. You can upload the same video to multiple platforms.

6. Order up! Get behind the scenes with TikTok.

Create some buzz by giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at your most popular or interesting fish and chip orders on TikTok. This trend gives you the opportunity to make a series of short videos that show how everyone’s favourite dishes are made.

Show off your skills, authenticity and personality to charm new customers, grow your brand and promote signature menu items.

7. Get creative with your children’s menu.

When planning your fish and chip menu design, consider a dedicated children’s menu to cater to the whole family. Think about what fresh and delicious options you can include, such as:

• Fish goujons
• Kids’ scampi portions
• Fishcakes
• Chicken bites
• Beans.

Don’t forget to advertise kid-friendly drinks for on-the-go, such as juice cartons and bottled water.

Whether you’re a takeaway fish and chip shop or restaurant, consider making your kids’ menu interactive with illustrations they can colour in. Think aquatic animals or local landmarks, depending on your style.

8. Satisfy the sweet tooths.

With all that savoury, it’s a good idea to offer something sweet. Pull out all the stops with complementary desserts.

• Pub classics. Tempt your customers with a final course of sticky toffee pudding, apple pie, molten chocolate cake, crumble or takeaway brownie and cheesecake.
• Retro puddings. Reminisce with ice cream and school dinner desserts, like jam roly-poly, arctic roll and pink jam cake slices.
• Deep-fried delicacies. Follow the Scottish tradition of deep-fried confectionary on your fish and chip menu.

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