Hobbs and Sons Fish and Chips, an award-winning 1930s-themed fish and chip shop located inside the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, West Midlands, has gone viral after a social media influencer showcased its unchanged traditional offerings. The shop, which has retained its original recipes and decor since the 1930s, serves authentic fish and chips fried in beef dripping, wrapped in paper, and accompanied by pickled eggs, pickled onions, salt, and malt vinegar.
Historic building relocated to museum
The building originally stood at 41–42 Hall Street in Dudley town centre and operated for generations. In 2006, to preserve the landmark from demolition, it was carefully dismantled brick by brick and fully reconstructed inside the 29-acre open-air living history museum. Today, it serves as a centrepiece of the museum’s 1930s High Street, featuring a restored saloon where visitors can view historical decor.
Period-accurate menu and viral attention
The menu focuses on cod, roe, and hand-cut chips, with no modern additions like curry sauce or gravy. Beef dripping is the standard cooking medium, but gluten-free fish and chips cooked in vegetable oil are available for vegetarians, vegans, and coeliacs. Visitors can dine inside the reconstructed 1935 saloon or take their food away to enjoy across the museum grounds.
The shop recently went viral when Robbie Thompson, who champions local food finds, visited and shared his experience with his 110,000 followers. He said: “Stepping in to the fish and chip shop is like stepping back in time. The fish and chips are cooked in beef dripping and served with loads of salt and malt vinegar.” He added: “This is simple food done well. Served in paper... the flavour was insane and these were some of the best chips I've ever had.”
His followers were impressed, with one commenting: “Fantastic - should be more places like this.” Another said: “This place is spectacular.”
Popularity and pricing
Given its enormous popularity, lengthy queues are common during lunchtime, with waits of 20 minutes or more. Most visitors say it is worth the wait. Prices are £11.95 for fish and chips, £7.60 for fish alone, and £4.50 for a serving of chips.
Broader museum experience
The Black Country Living Museum chronicles 300 years of history through over 50 authentically recreated shops, homes, and industrial workshops. Costumed characters populate the streets, engaging visitors with traditional regional wit and dialect. The canal-side village and smoke-laden streets served as a principal filming venue for the TV series Peaky Blinders, as well as Stan and Ollie. Other attractions include a subterranean mine, 1940s-1960s high street, vintage transport, a traditional fairground, an industrial quarter, a traditional pub, and a sweet shop offering historic confectionery measured out on vintage scales and presented in paper bags.
