The Flavour Report with Derek Goforth: The search for Geraldton’s best fish and chip shop starts with Sail Inn

Other than cafes, one thing Geraldton has in abundance is our fish and chip shops. To the north, south, east and west — all areas of the city have one. Everyone has an opinion on which one is best — who has the crispiest chips, the freshest fish and the best side dishes. So, I start my search for the best chippy at Sail Inn, perhaps our most prominent chippy, sitting right on the foreshore next to the teens’ play area. Perfect for a lunch overlooking the beach or watching the kids play. We kept it simple and went for a couple of portions of fish and chips — no extras, just a takeaway and lots of salt and vinegar. The service at Sail Inn has always been good, the order took about 10 minutes to get to us and at $30 it falls pretty much in the middle of the price range of Gero chippys. The have wide section of “extras” — battered sausages, seafood baskets, burgers and hotdogs are all on offer. For me, fish and chips have three parts — the chips, the batter and the fish. So first of all, the chips. There are always plenty of them, but that’s not always a good thing. But in this case the chips were hot, crispy (for the most part) and fluffy in the middle. Not a bad effort. The fish — fresh and tasty. Sail Inn fish always seems to be nice and firm, not overpowering in flavour but perhaps a little dry. Again a fair effort. Now on to the batter, which I have to admit was a bit of a letdown. I am not a fan of thick batter and Sail Inn’s batter is certainly that. Because of this the inside of the batter always seems a little undercooked and greasy. It’s a shame because the taste of the better is really nice. Sail Inn is certainly worth a visit if you haven’t already. Quick service, generous portions and all at a reasonable price. Plus the view across the dock is one to savour with a cool drink and a handful of hot chips!