Fish and chips have sustained Britain for generations and now cooking oil wholesaler Olleco is proud to be giving them a more sustainable future
Olleco is honoured to be sponsoring National Fish and Chip Day in 2024. This year, the event has moved from the traditional Friday, when fish was the dish on British menus, to a Thursday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Fish and chips were deemed so important to the morale of British forces that they were one of the few foods exempted from rationing and, in 2003, the UK’s department for environment, food and rural affairs listed fish and chips as a British cultural icon, alongside the red phone box and the cup of tea.
With an estimated 328 million portions of fish and chips consumed annually in the UK, our nation’s favourite food is still going strong today.
Celebrating high-performance frying oil for fish and chips
To gain insight into how Olleco helps make the perfect fish and chips, Olleco spoke to loyal customer Kirk Gosden, chef director at Rockfish, a chain of seafood restaurants and takeaways in the South West of England.
Asked which oil he preferred, he said: “We have always used sunflower oil. For a short period, we had to stop while there was a shortage, but as soon as it was back in, we couldn’t wait to get it back in Rockfish pans.”
When asked why, he came straight to the point, adding: “Sunflower oil is the best oil you can fry with – allowing your fish and chips to shine.” And when asked why Olleco sunflower oil specifically, he answered: “It lasts longer than most other oils and doesn’t add any extra flavour to the food. He added that Olleco’s service was “most efficient, friendly and when something does go wrong, they sort it immediately”.
Selecting the right cooking oil for the job
With something as close to people’s hearts as fish and chips, there is a range of oils to fry with. Hard fats have been the traditional frying choice and Olleco’s vegetable frying fat is a premium palm block, from sustainable sources, that it says rivals the biggest names in the business. There’s also Olleco beef dripping which proves to be popular for its flavour profile and crispy finish.
However, because hard fats are not every chefs’ first choice, Olleco has worked with industry-leading experts to create Olleco’s sunflower oil blend, optimised for performance. This unique blend gives improved stability and allows the oil to be used at higher temperatures for longer than the standard liquid oils, a cost-effective reason to make the switch.
Packaged in 20l bottle in box containers, they save space as they can easily be stacked as well as used to return the used cooking oil and recycled at the end of its life.
Helping to fight climate change
Olleco is committed to doing everything possible to address the climate emergency. By recovering used cooking oil and food waste from over 50,000 hospitality and food service premises across the UK, the company massively reduces customers’ carbon footprints.
Converting food waste and used cooking oil into renewable energy and biofuels ensures that nothing goes to waste and that customers are helping to decarbonise the UK’s gas and electricity grids, reduce the impacts of road vehicles and improve Britain’s energy security.
Olleco is an active member of NEODA (National Edible Oil Distributors Association), the not-for-profit organisation that ensures the integrity of the vegetable oil industry. Being the industry lead that they are, Olleco’s head of procurement adds to the support of this essential industry as NEODA’s vice president.
So, whether you’re looking for a traditional frying fat or looking for a more contemporary frying medium, you will find a comprehensive range of options on Olleco’s website.
