The British fish and chip shop 'trapped in time' that still uses coal to heat its vintage fryers - and tourists love it
At its peak in the 1900s, the north east of England produced a quarter of Britain's coal, including supplies for Buckingham Palace.
Coal was the most popular way to heat homes until the 1970s, when gas central heating became dominant.
The open coal fire was a traditional focal point of domestic life, used for heat, hot water and cooking.
The 1900s also saw fish and chips become a national staple, peaking with 35,000 shops by the 1920s.
Fish and chips became a symbol of British morale and resilience, especially during WWII, when it was famously kept off rationing lists by Winston Churchill.
Steaming hot, cooked in beef dripping and wrapped in newspapers, many Brits have fond memories of chippy Fridays.
And while the use of coal for household and commercial purposes has declined significantly, there are still a handful of fish and chip shops cooking up the British teatime staple as they did before gas took over.
These include Upton Fish Shop near Gainsborough, Fields Fish Shop near Durham and Davy's Fish & Chips at Beamish Museum in County Durham.
The 1900s also saw fish and chips become a national staple, peaking with 35,000 shops by the 1920s
Davy’s gives visitors a real taste of traditional fish and chips, cooked in coal-fired ranges using beef dripping
Beamish is an open-air museum that recreates life in the north east during the 1820s, 1900s, 1940s and 1950s, allowing visitors to explore period buildings, shops, and transport like trams and buses.
Covering around 350 acres, visitors can explore sites such as a Georgian-era farmstead, a 1900s town, a colliery and a 1940s farm.
But for many visitors, the main attraction is Davy’s fish and chip shop at the pit village.
Opened in July 2011, Davy’s gives visitors a real taste of traditional fish and chips, cooked in coal-fired ranges using beef dripping and served on printed paper that resembles newspaper.
The shop is named in honour of the last coal-fired shop in Tyneside, located in Winlaton Mill, which closed in 2007.
The serving counter and one of the shop’s three fryers came from the original Davy shop. The other two fryers are a 1920s Mabbott used near Chester until the 1960s, and a late Victorian GW Atkinson New Castle Range, donated from Prudhoe in 1973.
The decorative wall tiles in the fryery came to the museum in 1979 from Cowes Fish and Game Shop in Berwick upon Tweed.
The shop also features both an early electric and hand-powered potato rumblers (cleaners), and a gas-powered chip chopper built around 1900.
The original Davy's fish and chip shop was a traditional family-run chippy in Winlaton Mill, built in 1937. The entire shop, including the coal-fired range, was moved to the Beamish Museum, where it reopened in 2011
The menu is simple, offering fish and chips, dab (a portion of fish), tea, coffee and a selection of soft drinks in glass bottles.
And while technology certainly wasn't how news of a good chippy spread in the 1900s, there are multiple videos on social media of people raving about Davy's.
In a TikTok video, which has been viewed more than 9million times, user Robbie Thompson (@streetfoodanalysis) shared his experience visiting the iconic takeaway.
He said: 'This is the fish and chip shop trapped in time - one of the last in the world that uses coal to heat the original fryers with fish and chips cooked in beef dripping in a town that hasn't changed for over 100 years. A slice of England unchanged, it's one of the most incredible fish and chip shops.'
Davy’s has a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor, with one user declaring: 'The BEST fish and chips I've ever had, easily.
'The chips were like none I remember before. Incredible! Well worth the 30-minute wait in line. Forget Whitby. This is the place to come for top-notch fish n' chips.'
Another added: 'Simply put, the best fish & chips I’ve had in my almost 60 years. Perhaps it’s down to the unique coal-fired fryers of the dripping it’s cooked in, but 10/10.'
Another reviewer added: 'Drinking pop out of a glass bottle took me back to my childhood, although back then I only paid 8p for a portion of chips. Worth the wait and the price, definitely try while you are visiting.'
Beamish recently opened a second chippy, Middleton's fish and chip shop in the 1950s town
The museum recently opened a second fish and chip shop in their new 1950s village, serving traditional fish and chips using an original gas range.
It's next to a 1950s salon where you can get a vintage up-do.
Beamish has also recently opened its first Georgian-style, self-catering cottages, offering a historic stay with modern comforts.
Guests can book these cottages, which feature period decor, modern amenities, and direct access to the museum grounds, via Airbnb or Host & Stay, with stays including museum admission.
