Reason fish and chips got here wrapped in newspaper – it is all to do with World War 2

Ever wondered why fish and chips used to come wrapped in newspaper – and why it doesn’t anymore? Turns out, there’s a very good reason dating back nearly 90 years

People are only just learning why fish and chips once came wrapped in newspaper – and the reason it no longer does.

It’s one of the UK’s most beloved Friday treats. Fish and chips has been a staple on our tables for more than a century, with many Brits dousing their cod or haddock and thick-cut chips in vinegar weekly – but many of us may not know the history of the meal.

Matthew, a staff member from Sankey’s Seafood Restaurant in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, took to TikTok where he explained how one of the nation’s favourite takeaways came to be presented that way. “There’s a rather rich and fascinating history behind it, so before you tear into your next saveloy or battered haddock, learn a few fishy facts,” he captioned a video posted to TikTok.

“It all started back in World War 2,” Matthew explained. “There was a shortage of paper, so shops would wrap your fish and chips to take away in used newspapers.”

It soon became apparent, however, that the ink from the newspapers posed concerns for diners’ health, owing to its petrol and lead content in some instances. “This led to real concerns about lead poisoning through fish and chips,” Matthew explained.

He continued: “Eventually the EU outlawed wrapping food products in used newspaper. Nowadays, we use certified food-safe products – we’ve even printed snazzy little lobsters on ours.”

Ironically, Matthew closed by adding that some restaurants now print “fake newspaper” in a bid to capture an authentic feel of days gone by. He joked: “What do you reckon, Nige [Nigel Farage]? Now that we’re out of the EU, should we be wrapping our fish and chips in old newspaper? Brexit fish and chips!”

“This is so interesting,” a TikTok user commented. “Growing up I was told newsprint is sterile and that’s why it was also used in maternity wards in a pinch to deliver babies into when there was a shortage of clean laundry!”

Other TikTok users claimed wrapping techniques meant the food never came into contact with the newspapers’ ink, however. “I was born in ’63 the food didn’t come into contact with the newspaper, there was another layer, baking parchment maybe, I was a kid so not sure what it was, but that was in contact with the food,” one person said.

Another agreed, explaining: “The food never came into contact with the newspaper, they used plain paper for the food and the newspaper was used as insulation to keep it warm on the walk home.”

And a third recalled: “I can remember very distinctly watching the guy wrapping our fish and chips with newspaper he also popped some white paper, also that was in the 60s.” The feedback prompted Matthew to ponder: “From the comments it looks as though some did and some didn’t use baking parchment. Maybe we could go back to using that?”