Food in books: fish and chips from The Bear Nobody Wanted by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Kate Young recalls her days working at a fish and chip shop as she makes this British cuisine staple in honour of the kids’ book by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

By Kate Young for The Little Library Café, part of the Guardian Books Network

‘It’s this first meal, one that is packed alongside him on the journey home, that I imagine he’d find particularly memorable.’ Photograph: Kate Young

Kate Young

Thursday 7 April 2016  The Guardian

When Mrs Broom and her fish and chips arrived home, they received a fine welcome. Mrs Broom’s eldest daughter was at the door, her second daughter took her bag, her son came running down the stairs to greet her, and her husband put the kettle on.

The Bear Nobody Wanted, Janet and Allan Ahlberg
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I applied for my first job as soon as I was able – at fourteen and nine months. The fish and chip shop up the road, supplier of our occasional Friday night supper, was on the hunt for new staff. I typed up a CV of sorts – it can’t have been more than a couple of lines – and took it up. I started a week later, and spent the next six months with my trainers and cargo shorts (this was 2002, after all) smelling of fish and oil   MORE