Is fish and chips halal?

Fish is always halal

Muslims don't need to slaughter fish, and fish caught by anyone is lawful to eat. Allah says:

When asked about the sea, the Prophet ﷺ said its water is pure and its dead animals are lawful (Sunan Abi Dawud 83; Jami' at-Tirmidhi 69). So cod, haddock, plaice and pollock are all fine, and the potatoes are obviously halal too. For other seafood, see Can I eat shrimp and other seafood?

Three things to ask the chip shop

• What do you fry in? Many traditional shops, especially in northern England and Scotland, fry in beef dripping. Unless the beef was halal, most scholars say to avoid it. Vegetable oil is no problem.
• Is there beer in the batter? "Beer-battered" fish is common in pubs and restaurants. Most scholars say not to eat food cooked with alcohol, even if much of it evaporates. See Can I cook with wine as a Muslim if the alcohol burns off?
• Do you fry sausages or pork in the same oil? Battered sausages, saveloys and pies often share the fryer. Many scholars say oil used for pork makes the other food impure, while others are more lenient. See Is it haram to eat food that touched pork?

Sides and sauces

Mushy peas, salt, vinegar, ketchup and tartar sauce are normally fine. Malt vinegar is made from fermented malt, but the alcohol is turned into acid, and vinegar is halal according to scholars. Gravy and curry sauce can contain beef or chicken stock from non-halal meat, so ask, or choose the vegetarian version.

Finding a halal chippy

Many chip shops in the UK, especially in cities with large Muslim communities, fry in vegetable oil only and serve halal sausages and chicken. Some display a halal certificate in the window. If you're not sure, a polite question at the counter is normal; staff hear it all the time. In general, eating at places that aren't fully halal is about choosing carefully. See Can Muslims eat at non-halal restaurants?