The 2014 Chippy Challenge ended New Year’s Eve but I was hungry and had a half hour to kill and I’m still not sick of fish and chips so I popped into the Codfather as I wandered around Trowbridge. The fellow cooked the small portion (at least that’s what I ordered albeit a very generous “small”) to order in the packed house and by the time it came up all succulent and steaming the queue was out the door. Brilliant.
[The Chippy Challenge: to eat more fish and chips in 2014; see original post for details.]
Fish: cod
Sides: chips
Evaluation: This was the third of the frozen cod from the grocer I’ve included in the list. It was, like the Young’s, pretty good if ugly to behold. We were wolfing down some oily stuff as ballast against the pub crawl to come and I had these in the freezer as a back-up in case I couldn’t make the 7-day cut-off during the Year of Fish and Chips that ends today.
Unlike the Year of Kebabs immediately preceding this one, I don’t feel like I need to lay off the cod and chips for a full year; that was good to do, too, as I just started craving döner again a week or so ago. No challenges on for next year which is probably a good thing.
Days since last: 4 (Jolly Friar, Westbury)
Map link.
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Only one day left
In the year and the challenge.
Let’s have a blowout.
Name: Kiri Sauvignon Blanc
Type: white wine
Menu: Fish Tacos using haddock marinated in lime, olive oil, cumin, paprika, garlic and oregano with a sauce made from yogurt, limes, cilantro, capers, jalapenos, cumin, paprika, dill, and a dollop of tahini. Topped with shredded lettuce, onion, more cilantro, avocado, and tomato. Obscenely more-ish nachos to start. Yum.
Venue: house
Review/notes: The bottle suggests notes of gooseberry but more than anything there is honeydew melon in this drier-than-expected and truly sublime wine. Would have been really good with nuts, too, or nibbles out in the sun (stocking up on this for Spring).
Cold day out, sore back, and no motivation so just 3.6 miles today, near home:
[DT =Daily Tipple, explained in DT #000 here]
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[The Chippy Challenge: to eat more fish and chips in 2014; see original post for details.]
Fish: cod
Sides: none
Evaluation: Light but flavourful crust, large piece of perfectly cooked fish…on a cold day while sweat rapidly dries 8 miles into a 10 mile run there’s nothing more welcome.
Days since last: (Six Bells, Oxford)
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[The Chippy Challenge: to eat more fish and chips in 2014; see original post for details.]
Fish: cod
Sides: chips, mushy peas, Carlsberg
Evaluation: Tasty, generous plop of mushy peas, and cheap. I’ve had worse pub F&C, believe me.
Days since last: 3 (Market Plaice, Devizes)
Map link.
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[The Chippy Challenge: to eat more fish and chips in 2014; see original post for details.]
Fish: cod
Sides: none
Evaluation: Unbelievably delicious and I would have gone back for seconds, some chips, and mushy peas if a) I hadn’t promised to do a proper green curry from scratch when Jackie got home and b) the bus, which only runs hourly, wasn’t due. The Pelican, two doors down and which allows you to bring in outside food, was a real temptation at this point; my resolve was later rewarded (great meal, good wine, lovely company) but I shall ever be nagged by what might have been.
Days since last: 1 (Leo Fish and Chips, Wootton, Oxfordshire)
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[The Chippy Challenge: to eat more fish and chips in 2014; see original post for details.]
Fish: cod
Sides: none
Evaluation: Too much batter but otherwise flawless. This assessment may be due to running 6½ miles in the cold on an empty stomach just beforehand.
Days since last: 1 (Bell and Compass, Oxford)
Map link.
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[The Chippy Challenge: to eat more fish and chips in 2014; see original post for details.]
Fish: cod
Sides: Nachos. Chips. Mushy peas.
Evaluation: Ghastly, but the fish was tiny (silver linings, etc). The tortilla chips in the nachos were cheese flavoured Doritos and the salsa was a smoky-sweet barbecue sauce (I think this was supposed to go with the fried mushrooms I passed on as a starter). The mushy peas were a firm paste that further solidified as the endurance test progressed. At least it was cheap. Absolutely horrid…what a surprise.
Days since last: 2 (The Chippy, Didcot)
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[The Chippy Challenge: to eat more fish and chips in 2014; see original post for details.]
Fish: cod
Sides: chips
Evaluation: I was starved, having missed out on the Christmas Party feast for which I skipped lunch to make the most of. It was raining out and my core temperature never really recovered from the River crossing which forced me to skip the elegant do. So, this may not be as good as I felt thought at the time but to me the chips were heavenly and fluffy inside and the huge piece of fish perfectly seasoned and filling. what more could I have asked?
Got in another mile-and-a-half run making the loop from the train station in Didcot to the chippy and on to the Wallingford Arms…a little more than 10 miles total on the day with the sprint uphill from Swindon Station to Old Town, later.
Days since last: 6 (Royal Standard, Oxford)
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[The Chippy Challenge: to eat more fish and chips in 2014; see original post for details.]
Fish: cod
Sides: chips and mushy peas
Evaluation: Very good for a pub, especially good for a pub with so many mouthy youths around. Spectacular landlord here, though. You should go there.
I had originally planned on the Butcher’s Arms for the lunch at the mid-point of a 7 mile or so run but this was actually closer to my G-Had/hash prelay inspection. Just as well, in the long run.
Days since last: 4 (South Cerney Fish and Chips, South Cerney)
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My job’s just to be
A janitor, not a cop.
Just make the mess good.
Name: Old Golden Hen
Type: golden ale
Venue: Royal Standard, Oxford
Review/notes: Running to the Butcher’s Arms but couldn’t find it so, wanting to see if I could find Gadget’s trail after lunch, I headed back toward the main drag and, generally, where I expected to find powder. No luck, as it turned out but on my return to the labs found equipment that everyone should know better than to fuck up and yet fuck it up they did despite my warnings that the thing was easy to fuck up and up with which fucking would be imminent should they fucking try to fix it on their own…on their fucking own. Oh, well, top 1% of the academic world and all (bunch of fucking assholes).
[DT =Daily Tipple, explained in DT #000 here]
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[The Chippy Challenge: to eat more fish and chips in 2014; see original post for details.]
Fish: cod
Sides: mushy peas
Evaluation: Hungry before the bus to Cricklade, I was ravenous after a five mile run in the cold, damp air near the reservoirs that make up the Cotswold Water Park. So, the fish here needn’t have been as absolutely perfect as it was and I would still have wolfed it down.
The queue led out the door, always a good sign, and while the chips looked perfect I opted for the mushy peas which still retained pea texture and tasted like they were made from fresh (although the season for such ended months ago). I hope the people of South Cerney appreciate what a treasure they have, here.
Days since last: 5 (Oxford Fish and Chips)
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[The Chippy Challenge: to eat more fish and chips in 2014; see original post for details.]
Fish: cod
Sides: chips
Evaluation: The newest chippy in Oxford opened Friday so Monday was my first chance to try it out. Delicious but very stingy: a very small handful of chips and a “large” portion of fish smaller than most places sell as a small. At least it was also expensive (£6.50).
Days since last: 2 (Crispy Cod, Worcester)
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Thirteen of the Daily Tipples were in the beer category with 12 pub visits (6 of which were Wetherspoons, 5 of those were the Four Candles). The highlight of the month had to be tasting the finished batch of Two Cures, though, with the worst experience of the bunch the very disappointing trip to The Lighthouse:
| BEER | ||||
| DT # | Date | Name | Type | Venue |
| 305 | 01-Nov | Wadworth Green Hopped Beer | bitter | The Prince of Wales |
| 310 | 06-Nov | Ellgood’s Cambridge Bitter | bitter | Four Candles |
| 315 | 11-Nov | Summerskills Ninja Beer | bitter | Four Candles |
| 326 | 22-Nov | Brewers’ Blizzard | bitter | The Bear |
| 327 | 23-Nov | Arkell’s Centennial | bitter | The Clifton |
| 330 | 26-Nov | Fireside Ale | bitter | Red Lion |
| 334 | 30-Nov | Bishop’s Finger | bitter | house |
| 311 | 07-Nov | Rooster’s Union Gap | blonde ale | Four Candles |
| 333 | 29-Nov | Cameron’s Gold Bullion | golden ale | Mug House |
| 328 | 24-Nov | Tuborg | lager | Four Candles |
| 321 | 17-Nov | Cotswold Spring OSM | mild | Four Candles |
| 316 | 12-Nov | Krušovice | pilsner | The Lighthouse |
| 320 | 16-Nov | Malmesbury Westport | porter | The Hop Inn |
| BOOZE/OTHER | ||||
| DT # | Date | Name | Type | Venue |
| 318 | 14-Nov | Two Cures Sloe Gin | booze | house |
| 322 | 18-Nov | Sloe Gin Fizz | booze | house |
| 313 | 09-Nov | Wychwood Ginger Beard | ginger beer | house |
| WINE | ||||
| DT # | Date | Name | Type | Venue |
| 308 | 04-Nov | Jacob’s Creek Shiraz Cabernet | red wine | house |
| 309 | 05-Nov | Villa Verde Montepulciano d’Abruzzo | red wine | house |
| 312 | 08-Nov | Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon | red wine | house |
| 314 | 10-Nov | Vaucluse Grenache-Syrah | red wine | house |
| 317 | 13-Nov | Viña Maipo Merlot | red wine | house |
| 319 | 15-Nov | Petit Monde French Red | red wine | house |
| 324 | 20-Nov | Corte Viola Cabernet Veneto | red wine | Bella Italia |
| 325 | 21-Nov | Hardy’s Bankside Shiraz | red wine | house |
| 332 | 28-Nov | Vinsobres Cru de Côtes du Rhône | red wine | house |
| 323 | 19-Nov | Hardy’s Bankside Rosé | rose wine | house |
| 331 | 27-Nov | Torretta Prosecco | sparkling wine | house |
| 306 | 02-Nov | Chateau Pierrousselle Entre Deux Mers | white wine | house |
| 307 | 03-Nov | Castelliere Pinot Grigio | white wine | house |
| 329 | 25-Nov | Sorso Pinot Grigio | white wine | house |
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The Chippy Challenge dragged until the last week of the month but there were some spectacular examples (Crispy Cod and Robinson’s Traditional Fish and Chips) and some crimes against cuisine (Marmaris and WingLoon House):
| # | Name | Where | Date | Venue Type |
| 109 | Prince of Wales | Shrivenham, Oxfordshire | 01-Nov-14 | Pub |
| 110 | Morrison’s Café | Swindon, Wiltshire | 08-Nov-14 | other |
| 111 | WingLoon House | Oxford, Oxfordshire | 14-Nov-14 | Chippy |
| 112 | Marmaris | Swindon, Wiltshire | 21-Nov-14 | Chippy |
| 113 | Robinson’s Traditional Fish and Chips | Bowerhill, Wiltshire | 22-Nov-14 | Chippy |
| 114 | Red Lion | Marston, Oxfordshire | 26-Nov-14 | Pub |
| 115 | Pinehurst Fisheries | Swindon, Wiltshire | 28-Nov-14 | Chippy |
| 116 | Crispy Cod | Worcester, Worcestershire | 29-Nov-14 | Chippy |
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The GHadHHH had two minor trails this month, one each versus the Oxford and Moonrakers hashes, both night efforts. More importantly was the treatise on IntifadHHHa and CalipHHHate differences in this confusing era of global Hashlam and its various pretenders.
Pub count: this month only added 8 more pubs to the total and all of them came on runs. Started the calendar year with 1197 and the blog year (19 January) with 1201 so it is shaping up to the weakest effort of the 6 years so far but at 1280 I hope to hit 1300 before the end of 2014.
[The Chippy Challenge: to eat more fish and chips in 2014; see original post for details.]
Fish: cod
Sides: none
Evaluation: Stunning. Sure, I was hungry mid-run and the damp weather enhances the flavours but I think this is one of the finer pieces of fish I’ve shoved down my gullet this year. Just around the corner from a rare Edward VIII postbox and a short journey to the Alma (a very friendly pub), this qualifies northern Worcester as an ideal tourist destination.
Days since last: 1 (Pinehurst Fisheries, Swindon)
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[The Chippy Challenge: to eat more fish and chips in 2014; see original post for details.]
Fish: cod
Sides: none
Evaluation: Very tasty, but they had to unwrap mine and the guy’s before me to put on salt and vinegar. The place is large enough for a couple of tables, newly opened after more than a year closed to demolish the old Pinehurst centre and rebuild this one.
I stopped in mid-run, still making 3-or-more miles per day for the holiday season. Seven days down, let’s see how far it can be sustained:
Days since last: 2 (Red Lion, Marston)
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[The Chippy Challenge: to eat more fish and chips in 2014; see original post for details.]
Fish: cod
Sides: chips and peas
Evaluation: A light but still very tasty batter: I think there was plenty of baking powder in it or in the flour it was rolled in pre- or post-battering. There was also a nicely sulfurous whiff to the aftertaste but not in the batter or fish itself (I reckon that is from the beer used for the batter. The chips were spectacular as well and the tartar sauce ALMOST tempted me to ignore my aversion to mayonnaise as it was almost solid with fresh herbs. Truly the Red Lion has one of the better pub fish and chips and could easily make the top ten if the peas were better (or mushy); this was my first lunch run here, but not my last.
Days since last: 4 (Robinson’s Traditional F&C, Bowerhill)
Map link.
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[The Chippy Challenge: to eat more fish and chips in 2014; see original post for details.]
Fish: cod
Sides: none
Evaluation: Good lord, this was spectacular. Ever so slightly undercooked at the centre of the incredibly generously sliced portion the flesh melted under the slightest tooth pressure, steamed inside the jacket of sinfully delicious batter and with a fragrant vinegar that must come from Elysium. I hope this crappy estate appreciates this little treasure, this diamond gleaming atop the pig shit.
Days since last: 1 (Marmaris, Swindon)
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[The Chippy Challenge: to eat more fish and chips in 2014; see original post for details.]
Fish: dunno
Sides: chips
Evaluation: Chips and fish from the freezer. This place does a decent kebab, though. When you’ve been out drinkin’ and need sustenance, you do what you gotta do (and I needed a fish and chips as it has been 7 days since the last one); the kebab was really tempting, though.
Days since last: 7 (WingLoon, Oxford)
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The Endless British Pub Crawl 
“You’re going to swell up like a tick.”
–Work mate when he heard about the Chippy Challenge.
“No, he did the same thing with kebabs, last year…he’ll be fine.”
–Another colleague, in response.
Actually, I lost weight, starting the year at 178 lbs (12 stone 10 or, for the metric-minded, 81 kg) and spending most of the last 6 months dead on 154 lbs (11 stone even or 70 kg). This was grand, as I drank more this year than usual and ran only about the normal amount (maybe even less than, but I haven’t tallied the runs yet). I would highly recommend this diet at least to those who normally live on the 2013: Year of Kebabs Diet. I’m looking forward to seeing what drifting back toward normal alcohol and food intake will do to the weight.
Of the 126 qualifying meals, 75 were at a chippy, 40 in a pub, 3 at the house, 1 at a Dutch fish stand, and 7 others (cafes and dining halls).
I didn’t travel much this year so geographically they are pretty tightly clustered around home and work. I nailed a couple in mainland Europe and a few down at the southern coast, as well, but I had 36 each in Oxford or Swindon so I have favourites in those two localities.
Top 10 in Swindon:
Top 3 in Oxford (Chippies in Oxford are generally shit, but seek these out):
The 5 most dreadful:
Best 5 of the rest:
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