Best Fish and Chips in Cheltenham: A Local's Guide to Proper Chippies and Cracking Suppers

Cheltenham sits a fair way from the sea, but you wouldn't know it from the quality of the chippies tucked into its neighbourhoods. Fish and chips is still Britain's number one fish dish, even with the rise of sushi and tacos, and Cheltenham takes it seriously. The town has one of the most decorated chippies in the country, alongside a handful of neighbourhood favourites that have been quietly serving cracking suppers for years.

This is a guide to the best fish and chips in Cheltenham, written for people who care about crisp batter, properly cooked chips, and fish that tastes like the sea. You'll find award winners, hidden corners, and the kind of places where the queue at six on a Friday tells you everything you need to know. Whether you're a long-time local or just passing through, this is where to go for a proper supper.

What makes a proper fish and chips?

Fish and chips looks simple. Two ingredients, a deep fryer, a wrap of paper. But the difference between forgettable and brilliant comes down to a handful of details that the best chippies obsess over.

The fish

Cod and haddock are the two classics. Cod is sweeter, flakier, and more familiar. Haddock has a firmer texture and a slightly stronger flavour. Both are good when fresh and cooked to order. A great chippy will tell you where the fish came from, when it landed, and whether it carries MSC certification. The Marine Stewardship Council reports that four in five fish and chips fans now believe every shop in the UK should serve sustainable fish.

The batter

Proper batter is light, crisp, and pale gold. It should crackle slightly when you press it with a fork and slide off the fish in one clean piece. The traditional British recipe is flour, water, a pinch of sodium bicarbonate, and sometimes a splash of beer for lift. Anything heavier or greasier is a sign the oil isn't fresh.

The chips

The best chips are double or triple cooked. The first low-heat fry sets the inside fluffy. The second, hotter fry crisps the outside without drying out the middle. Soggy chips are unforgivable. So are chips that taste of last week's oil.

Where to find the best fish and chips in Cheltenham

Cheltenham doesn't have dozens of chippies, but the ones it has range from award-winning destinations to humble neighbourhood spots that locals are quietly devoted to.

Simpsons Fish and Chips

If you only have time for one, make it Simpsons. The Priors Road shop was named Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year at the 2016 National Fish and Chip Awards, beating thousands of chippies across the country. James and Bonny Ritchie run the place with a level of care you can taste in every portion.

The fish is sustainably sourced, the batter is consistently crisp, and the chips are properly fluffy inside. They also run a sit-in restaurant next door if you want a plate, peas, and a proper cup of tea.

Benhall Fish Bar

Tucked away on Benhall Avenue, this neighbourhood chippy has built a loyal following over the years. Generous portions, fresh fish, and chips with the right level of crunch. Locals consistently rate it among the best in Cheltenham, and the queues on a Friday night back that up. Cash and card accepted. Worth the short drive from the centre.

Champion Chippy

Over on Beaumont Road in St Mark's, Champion Chippy lives up to its name. It's the sort of place where everyone behind the counter knows the regulars by order. Friendly service, no fuss, and chips that come out hot and golden every time. A genuine community chippy.

St Paul's Fish Bar

Sitting opposite the University of Gloucestershire's Francis Close Hall campus, St Paul's Fish Bar is a student and local favourite. Traditional fish and chips for eat-in or takeaway, with gluten-free options that don't feel like an afterthought. Honest prices, generous portions, no airs and graces.

The Chip Shed

If you want fish and chips delivered to your door, The Chip Shed is the most reliable option in town. Cooked fresh, no warming lamps, no soggy paper. They run delivery through both Deliveroo and Uber Eats and the food arrives in good shape. Useful for a Friday night in, or when the weather is dreadful and the idea of leaving the house is unappealing.

Sit-down or takeaway?

Both have their place, and the answer depends on what kind of evening you're after.

A takeaway eaten on a bench in Pittville Park or by the bandstand on the Promenade has a particular kind of magic. Newspaper-style wrap, vinegar soaking through, fingers slightly burnt. There's a reason it's the national dish.

A sit-down chippy supper, on the other hand, is comforting in a different way. A proper plate, mushy peas on the side, bread and butter, a mug of tea. Simpsons runs an excellent sit-in restaurant for this exact moment. It's also one of the better family-friendly options for a casual weekday dinner.

How sustainable is your fish supper?

If you care about the source of your fish, you're not alone. UK consumer spending on MSC-labelled seafood reached £1.7 billion in the 2024-25 financial year, with a 14% year-on-year rise. That demand is starting to filter down into the chippy trade, where MSC certification is still less common than in supermarkets.

The best fish and chips in Cheltenham tend to be the ones with clearest sourcing policies. If a chippy is happy to tell you where the cod was landed, that's a good sign. Simpsons has long led on this front, and the wider trend is moving in the same direction. Ask the question. The good ones will have an answer.

When is the best time for fish and chips in Cheltenham?

Friday evening is still the traditional fish supper night for most British households, and Cheltenham follows the pattern. Expect a queue at the popular spots between five and seven on a Friday. If you can avoid the rush, do.

Lunchtime on a weekday is often the best window. Fewer people, faster turnaround, and the oil is fresh. A sit-down supper at Simpsons works well at any point on a Saturday afternoon, especially after a wander down the Promenade or a walk in Pittville Park. For more weekend inspiration, see our weekend in Cheltenham guide.

What goes with fish and chips?

The classics earn their place. Mushy peas, curry sauce, gravy if you're in a northern mood, brown sauce if you're feeling Scottish. A wedge of lemon for the fish, malt vinegar for the chips, and salt with a heavier hand than you'd usually allow yourself.

Tartare sauce is the proper accompaniment for cod or haddock. Bread and butter, if you're sitting in, turns the meal into a chip butty. And tea, always tea. A pint of beer also works, especially if you're eating at one of Cheltenham's pubs that does a proper fish supper.

A small word on history

Fish and chips is barely 160 years old as a combined dish. The first proper chippy is widely credited to Joseph Malin, who opened in London in 1860, though the history is fairly tangled. The dish brought together fried fish, popular among Sephardic Jewish communities, with chipped potatoes from northern England. By 1910 there were over 25,000 chippies across the country. It became the food of factory workers, soldiers in two world wars, and Friday nights at home. Cheltenham's chippies fit into that bigger story.

Final thoughts

The best fish and chips in Cheltenham is the one that gets the basics right. Fresh fish, crisp batter, proper chips, and a counter staff who treat you like a regular even if you've just walked in for the first time. Simpsons is the headline act and worth the trip on its own. The neighbourhood chippies, Benhall, Champion and St Paul's, are where locals go week in, week out, for very good reason.

If you're new to town or visiting, slot a chippy supper into your plans alongside the better-known Cheltenham restaurants. It's the kind of meal that reminds you why this country built a national dish around two ingredients. Done well, it's properly good.

Meta description: The best fish and chips in Cheltenham, from the award-winning Simpsons to neighbourhood favourites. A local's guide to a proper supper in this Regency spa town.