The man behind Pontefract’s Ackworth’s Hillside Fisheries, Charlie Tipton, has fried up a storm since announcing his first Monthly Gluten-Free Monday, on July 2nd 2018. Promoted by the Hillside Fisheries Facebook page, these nights have since attracted large numbers of Ackworth’s gluten-intolerant or celiac sufferers, further strengthening the relationship between the Ackworth community and this local historic eatery.
The next Gluten Free Night at Hillside Fisheries is on March 4th.
For 70 years, before a devastating fire closed its doors, a fish and chip shop has stood where Hillside Fisheries now feeds the hungry mouths of Ackworth. Soon after opening the doors, and feeling the full force of the community’s support, owner and chief fryer Charlie Tipton began receiving requests for a gluten-free version of his signature fish & chips, described by many of his customers as the best fish and chips in Yorkshire.
Since the first of Hillside Fisheries’ Gluten-Free nights, the first Monday of every month is now dedicated to the delicate art of producing the finest gluten-free fish and chips around.
One enthusiastic customer of Hillside’s Gluten-Free Fish & Chips is eleven-year-old Eden, who is brought to the shop on the first Monday of every month by her Mum. Her Mum, Rebecca, told us:
“Eden sends a very big thank you! She’s now written “Fish Supper” in our calendar, under every first Monday of the month, for the rest of the year. Thank you for making her a very happy 11 year old”
The collection of customer reviews on the Hillside Facebook page is full of numerous 5-star reviews, many of which are from grateful coeliacs or those intolerant to gluten:
“Absolutely gorgeous, and so nice for a local chippy to cater for coeliacs. The fact that the fish was delish and flaky, and the chips lovely and fluffy, was just a bonus”
On gluten-free nights, Charlie uses a gluten-free batter, and while all products are fried in beef dripping for the truly authentic Yorkshire taste of fish and chips, a separate, freshly drained and cleaned fryer is used for all gluten-free orders, to ensure there is no cross contamination. To further ensure all the people of Ackworth can enjoy the north’s favourite dish, Hillside Fisheries also provide gluten-free sausages, fishcakes, scallops and curry sauce.
It’s estimated that 1% of the population are gluten intolerant, and the prevalence of undiagnosed celiac disease has increased dramatically over the last 50 years. Gluten-intolerance is a term we hear more frequently these days, and this is believed by doctors and scientists, to be due to environmental changes and changes in regard to the varieties of wheat being used and grown.
