New restaurant offers fish, chips and a twist

The Fisherman’s Rest in Clarendon Road is run by business partners Gary Moreton-Jones and Ian Clarke.

The pair were diving in at the deep end as they decided to open on the last weekend of August, which coincided with Victorious Festival.

Gary, chef and co-owner, has worked in the restaurant industry for years and wanted to bring a new concept to Portsmouth.

Gary said: ‘We looked for a long time for the right spot in Portsmouth. We wanted to make it close to houses to meet the takeaway aspect and this spot feels just right.

‘We’ve had so many customers come in to tell us how happy they are that they finally have a fish and chip shop on their doorstep!’

‘We make everything ourselves from scratch.

‘Our fish come straight from the boats and our specials board introduces items you won’t find in your regular chippy.

‘Soon we’ll offer crab scotch eggs with curry sauce, for example. We also make delicious fish cakes.’

The team make their own beer batter from scratch, something Gary was advised against. He said: ‘One warning I kept being given was to not make my own batter – I spent six months becoming a batter expert and I think we make a delicious beer batter!’

The owners are keeping produce local. The potatoes used for their chips are grown in Hayling Island and, once ready, are sent straight to the restaurant to be chipped on site.

Gary said: ‘We will not compromise on fresh, quality produce. Everybody loves the staple fish and chips but, as well as the traditional serving, we offer fried and grilled fish options with different accompaniments. Our menu is quite diverse.’

‘The feedback so far has been fantastic. We’re pleased to be up and running and in the next couple of weeks we hope to offer a delivery service but, if you’re in the area, pop down and try our delicious fish and chips!’