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Harry Ramsden's: The Largest Fish and Chips Place in the World
Harry Ramsden's is to fish and chips in the U.K. like Bob Evans is to breakfast in the United States. Started with just one building in Guiseley, West Yorkshire, England, it's grown into a chain of 170 (maybe more?), including one restaurant at Walt Disney Resorts in Florida.
Harry Ramsden's claim to fame is that it has the largest fish and chips place in the world according to Guiness World Records. If you want to eat fish with 250 other people head to Guiseley, West Yorkshire, England. This is where the first fish and chips place opened in 1928. The original building is still on-site. If you go, check to see if the Harry Ramsden Challenge is still offered. This is a deal that if you finish all the fish in chips of a very large order, you get a free dessert and a certificate.
Like the Bob Evans franchise that includes packaged food in supermarkets in the U.S., Harry Ramsden's is starting to market their own food. You can buy mushy peas in a can, for example, and take some home with you. Here's a run-down about eating at Harry Ramsden from a very happy customer. This Flickr photo by Specky Four Eyes features mushy pea. This is a take-out version of the restaurant's offerings.
Filed under: History, Business, Food and Drink, Europe, United Kingdom
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Henry Dunehurst Apr 7th 2008 7:12AM
I tried to eat at HR in Brighton and I met the rudest personnel I ever heard of. I was heading to the toilet when a guy (probably in management position, given the shirt and tie) thought (?) I was just someone who entered to use the loo and ran after me addressing me "where are you going, mate?"... I was flabbergasted and replied I was a customer! Instead of apologizing and being ashamed he told me "how am I supposed to know?".... well my friend it's your JOB! On my way back I confronted him to tell him that he should not call me his mate as I am a customer and his conduct was very unprofessional, he refused to apologise and even said he was not going to call me "sir"... My girlfriend and I left disgusted while several people were astonished to see such bad manners from someone who should be polite and attend to the guests.
There is no reason to doubt that the same decadence in staff levels is in the kitchens as well so... go to eat somewhere else.
ahmed hamdy Sep 13th 2008 3:26PM
iam from egypt we want to take frinshise in egypt i need contact name & e.mail
thank you
vbfg Aug 7th 2007 12:27PM
On no account should you eat at Harry Ramsden's. There are hundreds of fish and chip shops in the area, all of them are more interested in their food than HRs is.
annehaigh Aug 25th 2009 12:14PM
I agree. we recently went to Eastbourne and decided to purchase takeaway fish and chips at Harry Ramsdens.The staff were scruffy and uninterested in the job they were doing, and the fish we were served was practically inedible. Also the batter which Harry Ramsdens used to be so proud of was soggy and totally unacceptable.
STEPHEN BERRY Aug 12th 2007 9:47AM
HR's is the classic example of how to ruin a brand name by expanding too fast and going down market into "fast food" in Motorway Service Stations. As a boy there were queues every day to get in to the restaurant. I ate there a year ago and was the only person in the restaurant at 8:30 on a Tuesday evening!