AWARDS & REVIEWS

Seal of Approval

Fern helps Simon celebrate his Quality Award

SMILES Fish and Chips has received a hard-earned Seafish award - and a culinary personality gave her own seal of approval to the shop.

Fern Britton, past presenter of the hit BBC show 'Ready Steady Cook' was the guest of honour as the Beaconsfield shop was presented with its certificate.

The TV personality, who lives in the Buckinghamshire town, said: "I love fish and chips and I often come into Smiles - the shop is clean and bright and the people are pleasant. Cooking good fish and chips is a very difficult thing and Smiles' are beautiful and fresh."

Simon Prior, the co-owner, has been in the frying business for several years, yet only owned the shop last September, so receiving the award after such a short time is testament to the hard work put in by the staff.

Fern Britton presents Simon Prior with his Seafish Quality Award with Les Birkenhead (left), co-owner of Smiles, and Adrian Barrett of Seafish.

He said: " Hygiene is very important, as is the quality of products and frying methods. That combination will lead to success.

The award is great because it lets customers know that we take our fish and chips very seriously, but there's always room for improvement."

Just right for an early bite

While wandering around Beaconsfield New Town at 5.30pm on a Wednesday, my stomach began to rumble. Having finished our work for the day, photographer Brian Jordan and I decided to grab a light bite.

It was glaringly obvious it was not going to be as easy as walking into a restaurant and ordering some food, for the simple reason most of them don't open until 6.30pm at the earliest. But Smiles fish bar looked inviting and we decided to try it out.

Smiles is split into two sections: There is a takeaway area for all your fish and chip needs, and a restaurant for those who have a bit more time on their hands - like us.

Not expecting much from the menu as it arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of choice on offer. Granted, it is not gourmet cooking or fancy dishes, but it is what I would call good old-fashioned food.

Alongside the traditional cod, haddock, and plaice, there were burgers, pies, and a selection of chicken dishes, as well as vegetarian options and cheaper prices for senior citizens and children.

As it is a fish bar, I felt duty bound to try the cod and chips, while Brian opted for a cheeseburger and chips. I can almost sense the complaints rolling into the paper about the lack of adventure, and a 'kebab shop' style of restaurant reviewing.

But when the food arrived, it was a generous portion, and the cod was excellent. I often find the batter on fish overpowering, and greasy, but this was neither, and the fish was fluffy and well complemented with some tartar sauce.

It was close to being the nicest fish and chips I had eaten in many years. Even Brian, and extremely fierce critic and a man who's hard to please, was satisfied with his burger which came with a good-sized portion of chips.

While it may not be gourmet or too adventurous, Smiles has many things going for it. It has a good, varied menu with tasty options, is nicely priced and offers service with a smile. But, most important, it is open.

Beaconsfield restaurateurs, please note.