I ate at Whistler's Fine Fish and Chips on Hayling Island - a meal worth island-hopping for

My interest was piqued when my companion said the best chippy around was on Hayling Island. As a native, she was rather biased but I was still very willing to investigate the claim.

Of course, Portsmouth has an abundance of great fish and chip shops, but I was ready to see how they do things across the water. I always enjoy the Hayling Ferry crossing, but what usually feels like a minute-long journey seemed to take an age as I salivated at the thought of batter and salt.

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While part of the beauty of fish and chips is its simplicity, it is of course possible to get it wrong. I’m not fussy but to me, the hallmarks of a bad chippy meal are that the fish is too soggy – or greasy – while the chips are too dry.

So, it was with excitement and apprehension that I arrived at Whistler’s Fine Fish and Chips on Station Road – or ‘ish and Chips’ as its signage currently reads. The chip shop has a stylish, dark green exterior and on the evening of my visit was abuzz with families queuing and chatting with the friendly staff behind the counter. A banner outside told me that the small takeaway was ‘award winning’, and I was already enjoying the smells wafting from the fryers.

I opted for a classic large cod (£8.35), chips (£3.70), and Fanta lemon (£1.60) while my companion went for a small cod (£5.80), cheesy chips (£3.30) and a bottle of Oasis Summer fruits (£2.30). We asked that both were slathered with salt and vinegar. While we didn’t indulge, it’s worth noting that Whistler’s stocks ice cream from Northney Farm, homemade with milk from the farm's Ayrshire herd.

While there is no seating to dine in, there were a few chairs where we waited for our order and this combined with impressively efficient service meant we were waiting for no more than 15 minutes. We hopped in her car and headed for the beach (Google says this would have been a 15-minute walk) and unwrapped our meals in a quiet spot in the shade of a groyne.

The moment of truth. In our hungry hurry, we had forgotten to ask for forks so I ripped into the large cod portion with my bare hands. The batter had that all-important pleasing crunch and the fish itself had a firmness which meant it didn’t fall apart and make a further mess of my slightly demeaning eating style.

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While it’s hard to say if it’s the best battered cod I’ve had, I’m hard pressed to think how it could have been done better. The chips could have been slightly crispier – for my personal preference – but were served with just the right amount of vinegar so as not to be sodden. My appetite got the better of my and I wasn’t able to finish my meal in one sitting – but it was almost as nice a treat the second time round fresh out of the microwave when I got home.

My companion held firm in her belief of Whistler’s superiority, adding that her meal was ‘great for satisfying your desire for something easy and filling’.

Food - 4

Value - 4

Ambience – 5

Kid-friendly – 4

Whistler’s – 47 Station Road, South Hayling