Why a Halifax chippy is a true chorizo champ

high-fryers: Adam and Alison Hird with their chorizo dish.

Hirds Family Fisheries, based on Backhold Lane in Siddal, are the proud winners of the Most Unique Dish prize at the Independent Takeaway Awards for their boundary-pushing chorizo fries with pesto sauce.

This comes after Gee Gees in Shelf hit the headlines for their battered sprouts, dished out by the tray load in the run-up to Christmas.

Adam Hird, who co-owns the Siddal shop with his wife Alison, says has long-since experimented with different dishes.

“We’ve tried all sorts and they’ve often gone down really well with customers,” he said.

“As well as the chorizo, we do halloumi fries and black pudding fries, we’ve done battered pigs in blankets. It just offers something a little bit different and makes us unique.

“I try to change the menu over every three months or so.

“We’ve always done quirky dishes - if it gets people coming the door to try things and most importantly they enjoy it, then we’re happy!”

The UK-wide awards cover 10 categories including the ‘Best Vegan’ as well as the ‘Most Popular’ and a newly introduced ‘People’s Choice Award’, judged entirely by customers votes via Facebook.

And it’s far from the first award the chip shop has secured, having taken home the prize for Best Takeaway in Yorkshire at last year’s JustEat awards at a ceremony hosted by Britain’s Got Talent star David Walliams.

Adam said: “We’re always chuffed to get recognised in this sort of way as it shows we’re doing something right, I think.”