Whether wrapped in newspaper or served on fine china with silver cutlery, fish and chips has come a long way since starting in Britain 150 years ago.

The dish has survived the arrival of McDonalds and the trend for healthy and organic food and in Britain alone, 10,500 chippies serve up between 250 million and 350 million portions every year.

The humble origins of the dish emerged from the fried fish cooked by Jewish communities in London's East End and the chipped potatoes favoured in the factories of industrial north-west England.

The National Federation of Fish Friers said the first fish and chip shop was set up in 1860 and the expansion of the railways in this period and the advent of steam powered fishing trawlers meant the dish soon spread across Britain.