How it rated

Quality of service excellent

Value for money very good

Ambience delightful

Speed of service very good

Quality of food excellent

CONTRARY to a certain politician's opinion, chicken tikka massala is not our national dish - I just had to start by getting that off my chest!

Our scribes have been waxing lyrical about enjoying the low carbon footprint aroma of Mumbai in the balmy climes of Wincham and watching in awe as Italian waiters expertly wield gigantic pepper mills over steaming dishes of spaghetti alla vongole in Northwich.

Cheshire's restaurateurs have been quaking in their food hygiene approved footwear at the thought of their foie gras not being up to the mark when the Guardian has reviewed their establishments.

Have we gone completely mad? So far we've snubbed the classic British dish completely.

I'm talking about that British reserve that is good old fish and chips.

For my first restaurant review I decided to take a trip to the Seafarer in Northwich, a chippy where you can actually sit down to enjoy your chips on proper plates, with a cup of tea too if you're feeling really extravagant.

In fact, you can even have wine, by the bottle or glass, or beer if you really wanted to push the boat out.

The Seafarer menu is pretty varied, I have to say.

From the staple chippy fayre you can venture into the more exotic territories of minted lamb burgers and onion rings but, after looking at the menu for approximately 30 seconds, my mind was made up.

Battered haddock, chips and mushy peas was to be my catch of the day.

I placed my order with a very personable young lady who did well to conceal her wry grin when I cheekily ordered a glass of red wine to accompany my meal.

While I waited for my food, I took a few minutes to take in the homely décor as I watched the steady stream of counter trade filing through obediently, the burble of staff and customers combining with the sounds of the kitchen and crockery to replace the usually obligatory piped musak.

The food arrived, the fish was a fine specimen, enough to keep Greenpeace and Japan squabbling for many months, lightly battered with soft white flakes and that distinctive haddock tang.

The chips too were succulent and plentiful.

The peas came in their own little ramekin dish, as opposed to being slopped into a polystyrene pot as an afterthought.

A small, but fresh, salad of lettuce, tomato and cucumber completed the ensemble.

The portion was huge, it would be best described in polite terms as hearty.

I know I've spent most of this review harping on about everything but the food but sometimes that's not the most important thing.

In the case of the Seafarer, the meal was excellent and the staff charming and friendly.

There was an enormous cross section of society also enjoying this very British experience, from teenage girls to pensioners, all chatting and tucking into their chips with gusto.

This is surely something we Brits should cherish and hold up proudly before the rest of the world as our own!.

I loved it and I suspect you would too.

Nick paid £7.55 for haddock, chips and peas to eat in' while his glass of house red wine was £2.