Harry Ramsden’s is to fish and chips in the U.K. like Bob Evans is to breakfast in the United States. Started with just one building in Guiseley, West Yorkshire, England, it’s grown into a chain of 170 (maybe more?), including one restaurant at Walt Disney Resorts in Florida.
Harry Ramsden’s claim to fame is that it has the largest fish and chips place in the world according to Guiness World Records. If you want to eat fish with 250 other people head to Guiseley, West Yorkshire, England. This is where the first fish and chips place opened in 1928. The original building is still on-site. If you go, check to see if the Harry Ramsden Challenge is still offered. This is a deal that if you finish all the fish in chips of a very large order, you get a free dessert and a certificate.
Like the Bob Evans franchise that includes packaged food in supermarkets in the U.S., Harry Ramsden’s is starting to market their own food. You can buy mushy peas in a can, for example, and take some home with you. Here’s a run-down about eating at Harry Ramsden from a very happy customer. This Flickr photo by Specky Four Eyes features mushy pea. This is a take-out version of the restaurant’s offerings.