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| Alternative names | Chipbarm, chipbap, chip bun, chip sarnie, chip muffin |
|---|---|
| Type | Sandwich |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Main ingredients | Bread,butter,chips |
Achip butty is asandwich filled withchips. It originated infish and chip shops in Britain in the 19th century, though the exact origin is disputed. The chip butty is associated withBritish working-class culture.
The chip butty is asandwich filled withchips, often served withmalt vinegar,curry sauce, gravy or ketchup.[1][2] The British food writerTim Hayward recommended using "undistinguished" softwhite bread, as "this is not the place for artisanal sourdough".[3] InThe Guardian, Tony Naylor recommended using buttered soft white bread and lightly fried chips seasoned with salt and vinegar, and serving the sandwich with acup of tea.[2] Naylor wrote that the chip butty was a comforting meal and a means to "transport ourselves to a happier, more innocent place".[2] In 2022, a statistician fromNottingham Trent University carried out a 2,000-person study and concluded that the ideal chip butty contained 12 chips.[4]
TheMichelin-starred chefPaul Ainsworth created a version withsourdough,triple-cooked chips, mayonnaise and parmesan.[5] In 2020, the fast food franchiseBurger King began selling chip butties in New Zealand.[6] In 2024,The Guardian reported that the chip butty had become popular in Australian cafes during thecost-of-living crisis.[4]
The chip butty originated inworking-class communities in Britain the 19th century, though its exact origins are unknown.[5][7] According to theNational Federation of Fish Fryers, it was created in 1863 inOldham, Lancashire, at Mr Lees, the second-everfish and chip shop in Britain.[5][8] The term "chip barm" began appearing in print in the 20th century, likely the result of the surge in popularity offish and chips in the 1900s.[5] Yorkshire[8] and Liverpool[9] have also been suggested as potential origins; the word "butty" is said to have originated in Yorkshire as slang for butter,[5] or in Liverpool[10] as a dialect elision of "buttery".[11] In thenorth of England, the easier access to fuel and the closer proximity to the potato supply of Ireland meant chips could be produced cheaply in large quantities.[5]
The chip butty is associated with British working-class culture.[2][12][13] The anthropologistKate Fox wrote in her bookWatching the English: "Even if you call it a chip sandwich rather than a butty, it is about as working-class as food can get."[14] "The Greasy Chip Butty Song", afootball chant that glorifiesSouth Yorkshire, includes the chip butty as a Yorkshire invention.[5]
In 2010, writers for the American media organisationNPR made a chip butty, having learnt of it from theNational Geographic, and concluded that "pretty much everybody agreed the English Chip Butty was less gross than they expected it to be".[1] In 2018, the American websiteFood Insider attracted mockery from British social media users when it appeared to discover the chip butty.[5] Similar dishes have appeared in other countries, including the "fake burger" sold byBurger King Japan, the Turkish patso,[15] the South AfricanGatsby,[4] and the Belgianmitraillette.
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