A chip shop has put a novel twist on a Christmas staple by giving away deep fried SPROUTS.
The unusual delicacy has been offered out to customers while they wait for their fish and chips to be cooked.
Andrea Long, 51, manager of Terry’s Traditional Fish and Chips in Huddersfield, West Yorks., said the sprouts have gone down so well with customers that she is serving up between 50 and 60 portions a day.
She said many customers dip the battered balls in salt while they wait for their food.
However Andrea said her suggestion is to see them lathered in mayonnaise.
She said: “A lot of people have said they belong with a dip or gravy, but for me personally they are good with mayonnaise.
“A lot of customers will come in and have a bit of salt on them.
“Many people will come in and look at them in the warming counter and then ask what they are and I’ll offer them to them.
“I’ve just had three people who have disliked them and one of them was my Saturday girl who I kind of forced it on her.
“I said she’d have to try them if she was going to dish them out to people.”
The sprout first appeared in the friers last Thursday but are set to be replaced on Thursday by battered stuffing balls as part of a weekly rotation of Christmas themed nibbles.
Deep fried pigs in blankets will also be served up before Noel, with Andrea planning the countdown to Christmas Day being topped with all three treats being served up once more on December 22 and 23.
Mum-of-one Andrea said: “They may have to make a reappearance due to popular demand, so I’m thinking of doing them the Thursday and Friday before Christmas.
“I started them last year and they went down really well and I’ve had people asking since August whether I was going to do them again.
“I had been thinking about doing it anyway but when everyone started asking I thought, well I better had now.
Andrea said she came up with the idea of battered sprouts last Christmas after being inspired by a TV Christmas advert.
She said: “I came up with the idea when I saw this little sprout boy on a BBC Christmas TV advert and I must have thought ‘oh what about battered sprouts‘ that’s what I think must have given me the idea for it.
“Then it was just the case of trying them after that I just threw the idea at John [Glithro], my brother-in-law who owns the shop, and he said ‘all right you can do it’.
“When the Monday came around I started offering them out and they flew out of the windows and so I just carried on doing them from there on.
“I think there would be uproar if I didn’t do it now. One of the school teachers even came in and took a load away for the children.”
