Your local fish and chip shop has been keeping a big secret from you about vinegar

People are baffled by the revelation that fish and chip shops might not be splashing your fish and chip dinner with a glug of vinegar – even when you think they have

Fish and chips is a rather quintessentially British takeaway. For many, there’s nothing quite like deciding you don’t want to cook and you’re going to get a chippy tea after a hard week at work – whatever your order is, it’s guaranteed to be delicious.

There’s also nothing quite like enjoying a portion of chips at the seaside, fending off the seagulls while you eat, and taking in the sea air no matter what the weather.

But if you ask the person serving you to smother your fish and chips in salt and vinegar, we have some bad news for you.

It turns out the ‘vinegar’ served in your local fish and chip shop probably isn’t real vinegar, as reported by WalesOnline.

This shocking revelation has come from YouTuber Tom Scott, who shared that many chip chops use something known as a non-brewed condiment in place of vinegar.

They look identical, so you’d never be able to tell the difference, and they only taste slightly different too.

So, what is a non-brewed condiment? It’s a malt vinegar substitute made from water, acetic acid, and various flavourings…interesting!

It’s chosen as it takes less time to make than actual vinegar and can be purchased in concentrated form – and it has other benefits that actual vinegar doesn’t.

One of the benefits is lack of alcohol, making it halal and an ideal choice for customers who are teetotal.

Some batches of the condiment are also gluten-free, meaning the condiment is more accessible to a wider range of customers.

Does discovering this industry ‘secret’ put you off using the ‘vinegar’ in fish and chip shops in the future? Let us know in the comments.