It’s a well-known fact that humans love sticking things in batter: whether it’s fish, sausage or even Mars Bars.
But, one chip shop is taking things to the extreme this winter by introducing battered sprouts to its festive menu.
In the run up to Christmas, Marshall’s Fish Bar in Cullompton, Devon is selling portions of five battered Brussels for £1.50. Here’s a photo of them in all their glory:
Chip shop owner Andrew Marshall told Devon Live: “The reason I came up with the idea is because my staff say I am a Scrooge when it comes to Christmas, so I thought why not serve battered Brussels sprouts?”
Mollie Evans wrote on the chip shop’s Facebook page that she had tried the sprouts and described them as “absolutely amazing”.
If battered sprouts don’t tickle your pickle, you can go all out and choose the Marshall’s Christmas chip shop dinner.
The dish consists of a chicken leg, battered sprouts, battered carrots, a battered pig in blanket, a battered stuffing ball, a gravy bomb (aka an ice cube of gravy surrounded in mash potato, covered in breadcrumbs and fried) and a battered mince pie for £9.95.
Caroline Casson wasn’t too impressed by the selection. “Good grief, how awful,” she wrote on Facebook.
Ray Alford added: “Battered mince pie? The chef needs battering I think!” Harsh.
It’s actually not the first time a chip shop has taken to battering traditional Christmas veg. In 2015, East London chip shop Sutton & Sons sold deep-fried Brussels sprouts for £2.50.
Shop owner Danny Sutton said: “I’ve never been a huge fan of Brussels sprouts, so we tried battering them for the Christmas season and they are a great way to get everyone to tuck into those boy scouts.”