Revealed: The formula for the perfect fish and chips

Batter acts like a thermal blanket around delicate foods like fish, preventing too much heat reaching in while also preventing steam from leaking out.

For the best results, experts advise eating out of paper wrappers by the sea.

Dr Sue Bailey , a food scientist from London Metropolitan University , says: 'When battered fish is fried it becomes crispy because oil gets to a higher temperature than water'.

The faster the batter dries, the lower the risk of overcooking the food.

As ethanol evaporates it also creates bubbles which are trapped in the web of gluten stands.

This means that the liquid content of a batter with alcohol will evaporate faster than one which just contains water.

Beer is actually even better than just using ethanol since the same foaming agents which give your pint its head help to trap bubbles of CO2 and make the batter even lighter.

The chips must be fried at a relatively cool temperature of 160C ( 325F ) for about five minutes or until lightly coloured.

They must then be fried again at 180C ( 360F ) This last dip in the oil will drive out any remaining moisture in the outer starch layer and brown the exterior.

This process will leave you with chips that are fluffy and tender on the inside but crisp on the outside.