To honour all those involved in the D-Day landings, the largest naval, land and air operation in history, National Fish and Chip Day will be moving from its traditional Friday slot in 2024 and will be celebrating the nation’s favourite dish on Thursday 6th June, which marks the 80th Anniversary of this momentous day.
Back for its 9th year, National Fish and Chip Day will recognise the huge importance of fish and chips during WWI and WWII, and on D-Day in particular. Fish and chips were called ‘Good Companions’ by Winston Churchill who ensured they weren’t rationed as he felt it would be detrimental to the morale of the nation. Even more incredible is that during the D-day landings, soldiers who found themselves behind enemy lines at night and needed a way of telling whether someone nearby was a friend of foe – they devised a two-word code… one would call ‘fish’ and the other replied ‘chips’!
Fish and chips are often considered the British national dish and this humble meal was a vital ingredient of the war effort in both the First and Second World Wars. The British Government safeguarded the supply of fish and potatoes during both world wars to ensure the dish.
Gary Lewis, President of the National Edible Oil Distributors Association (NEODA), founders of National Fish and Chip Day, said “National Fish and Chip Day has always brought the nation together to celebrate this iconic dish, and because of the intrinsic links it has always had with the world wars and D-Day we knew we wanted to be as involved as possible so have moved the date to show our support.”
National Fish and Chip Day recognises and thanks everyone involved in bringing fish and chips to the centre of every community; from the fishers who go out in all weathers to catch the delicious fish, and the farmers who grow and harvest the perfect potatoes and peas, to the fish and chip shops and restaurants who take those fresh ingredients and create our family favourite.
Visit www.nationalfishandchipday.org.uk to find out more.
