Fish and chips in take out box lying on table, overhead view
Secrets are lurking (Picture: Getty Images)

A local chippy can be the bedrock of a community, offering a safe haven for the end of a night out, or a reliable last-minute fish and chip dinner.

But the cherished spot also holds a dark secret that’s recently been uncovered.

It seems that vinegar you might be coating your chips with may not be quite what it seems.

A YouTuber, named Tom Scott, has shared the shocking truth that our beloved fish and chips may be covered in a non-brewed condiment in place of ‘real’ vinegar. 

According to websites, it is a malt vinegar substitute made with water, acetic acid, and flavourings.

In his video, titled ‘The Fake Vinegar in British Fish and Chip Shops,’ Tom says that chip shops shouldn’t disguise the vinegar substitute and claim it’s the real deal. 

He says: ‘Most people don’t know that this isn’t vinegar. Legally, it can’t be described as vinegar. Trading standards are really clear on that. It cannot be put in the little bottles that people traditionally associate with vinegar.’

It turns out, this substitute is a fair bit cheaper and easier to make than the real thing and there are a few other benefits to using it.

The first reason being that shops can buy it in concentrate, which makes it easier to store and transport. The mixture is also halal, and some brands are gluten-free, so this means more people can enjoy it.

But some people have stressed this revelation makes a lot of sense – and thank Tom for bringing it to their attention.

One person replied: ‘I always wondered why I couldn’t get the same vinegar taste on my chips at home. Now I know and all this has done is pushed me into finding somewhere that sells “‘non brewed condiment.”‘

Someone else said: ‘Always wondered why I could never find vinegar that tasted like chip shop vinegar and now I know, it’s because it isn’t vinegar I’m after.’

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