‘I tried Rick Stein’s chip shop – five issues mean I’ll never return’

Rick Stein’s Fish and Chips in Cornwall has garnered fame as one of the UK’s top fish and chip shops. The renowned chef, the mastermind behind a budding empire of eateries, retail spaces, and accommodation options in Cornwall, draws countless visitors to the institution year after year.

But it appears not all who venture down south to try the famous grub leave with smiles on their faces. Gary Hanna, who runs the restaurant review YouTube channel channel is certainly no fan of Rick’S restaurant.

He was left incensed after his recent meal at the chippy, declaring he won’t ever return.

Gary had blasted the coastal eatery during a prior visit, declaring: “I had his fish and chips and I’ve got to say they were disappointing. In fact, actually called it out and said it was a tourist trap.”

Seeking to be fair, Gary resolved to give Stein’s much-praised fish and chip shop another try, disguising himself to slip in for another taste test. This time around, he ordered haddock and chips, scampi, with mushy peas, curry sauce, and tartare sauce.

The bill came to just short of £34 mark, reigniting debate over the restaurant’s pricing. Rick, however, has stood by his prices, attributing the high costs to surging fuel prices and expensive produce.

Gary had to wait approximately 20 minutes for his meal, a delay he thought was fair enough given that the food was going to be freshly prepared. However, he was disappointed with the haddock he received, describing it as “really sorry for itself,” and overly greasy.

Upon tasting, he found the fish dry, commenting: “That’s not good. That’s not good piece of fish at all.”

The chips didn’t fare much better in Gary’s estimation, being “a bit dry,” and somewhat undercooked.

The scampi also failed to impress, with Gary dismissing it as “mass-produced mush”. He labelled the mushy peas as “rubbish”, and was unimpressed by the separately charged condiments.

After some thought, Gary decided to request a refund, explaining: “It’s not right because this is food that’s going to get wasted and thrown away. If it was cooked properly in the beginning it wouldn’t be wasted – I hate wasting food.”

However, there was a small consolation in the form of the restaurant staff’s response. Gary shared: “I brought it back and I can tell you that it was handled by the manager in there perfectly … she refunded me straight away.”

Despite being offered a replacement meal on the house, Gary declined, saying he didn’t want to end up wasting another piece of fish. He concluded his review with a personal message for the proprietor.

He went on to say: “I appreciate that [Rick Stein’s] not here running it himself personally but his family, or whoever’s running his organisation is running it guys sort it out – because you’re ripping people off this is a tourist trap and it’s not acceptable.”

CornwallLive has contacted Rick Stein’s team regarding Gary’s comments.