Celebrity chef James Martin has declared that the Magpie Café in Whitby, North Yorkshire, serves what he describes as 'the pinnacle of fish and chips'. Speaking on LNER's Routes podcast, the Malton-born presenter recommended diners order a large haddock with mushy peas, salt, vinegar and tartar sauce.
Martin recalled the experience of eating the dish by the sea, saying: 'You sit there and the wind's howling a gale, you sit there and you open up this pot of gold, and then there's just smell as this steam comes up, it hits your nose. The wind howling, but as this steam hits your nose, a little drip of snot drips onto your fish and then you're in nirvana, heaven, you're in the pinnacle of fish and chips.'
The Magpie Café, located on Whitby's seafront, has received more than four and a half stars out of five from nearly 9,000 Google reviews. This is not the first time Martin has praised Yorkshire; he previously told Food and Travel Magazine about his love for Whitby and York, describing the North Yorkshire moors and the steam engine route from Pickering to Whitby as highlights.
Martin, who currently splits his time between Manchester, Hampshire and the Cotswolds, hinted he might one day return to live in Yorkshire, adding: 'I'll get lynched if I don't end up in Yorkshire. I really do love Yorkshire.'
