Fish, chips and philosophy on side

There were more than a few fish and chip fans left feeling a little glum when Andreas Evangelou announced that he was leaving his chippy in Penwortham to retire back to his native Cyprus a couple of years ago.

His takeaway on Liverpool Road was a bit of an institution with chip fans south of the Ribble. Not only did he provide some delicious fare, but you could always be confident of a good conversation in the queue – all orchestrated by the man himself and some of his homespun philosophy.

So when Andreas returned to his spiritual home last year, having found that he preferred the weather and people in Preston to Larnaca, there was much cause for celebration.

On the evening I rolled up, there were only a couple of people ahead of me in the queue as the main rush had died down.

This is actually one chip shop where you hope for a queue – as the entertainment is even better when Andreas has an audience.

Having discovered where I worked, there ensued a conversation on the future of newspapers, the internet and even computer games.

An eclectic mix, eh?

And all this as the man himself juggled battering fish, checking on his almost-ready chips and counting the pies.

Truly a genius at work.

And so to the food. Fish and chips twice, large peas and a large curry sauce were ordered and paid for before I headed home, the few miles up the road

The fish was delici0us. Huge chunks of flaky white cod, enveloped in crisp batter.

The plentiful chips – no skimping here– had the perfect amount of wobbliness, while the peas were well- seasoned and just the right thickness.

The chip shop curry was top notch, with a little hint of heat and no more – nothing likely to overpower the delicate fish.

Welcome back, Andreas. We missed you!