'I drove 44 miles to get Friday tea from this Salford chippy but it was worth it'

How far would you travel for a really good chippy tea? It's a question worth asking yourself before you set off on a two-hour round trip to track down one that’s just been named amongst the best in the UK.

The sort of people who carry a map in their car and all the paraphernalia you need in case of a breakdown would probably roll their eyes at someone attempting to travel from the far end of Stockport to Pendlebury at the tail end of rush hour, but that’s how this story goes.

Crawling along the slip lane at Simister Island is something many of us will have endured, but the added pressure of being up against the clock adds an extra level of anxiety. It’s almost half past 6, and the chippy in question closes at seven.

READ MORE: The Greater Manchester fish and chip shops named among top 50 in the UK

Calling up to place my order, I can’t give a firm time and I tediously ask the woman on the other end to essentially list the entire menu. She humours me, but by the time we’ve got to the canned drinks her patience is wearing thin.

I have a good feeling about this place though and I’m making the 44-mile round-trip because I’m always willing to travel great distances for a decent chippy. That and it’s just been named among Fry’s Magazine’s 50 Best Fish and Chip Takeaways in the UK.

It’s one of a select few from the region to be bestowed the honour and sits in good company alongside Chips No.8 in Prestwich, The Fish At Goose Green in Wigan and The Little Chippy in Tyldesley. Completing the pack, and my chippy of choice on this early spring evening is Sykes Fish and Chips in Pendlebury.

A former family bakery turned into a classic fish and chip shop, Sykes is still going strong after 32 years and is classed as an