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Are you planning to visit Blackpool this spring or summer? It doesn’t matter whether you’re spending the day, the weekend, or the week, traditional seaside food has to be high on the list of things to do, and there are certain treats that we all love!

 

There always seem to be newspaper articles with the latest research into what are the nation’s favourite seaside treats, and it seems every year the same items appear, albeit in a slightly different ranking. While some items may gain or lose popularity over the years, the lists always feature the same treats, so let’s have a look at our tasty top ten!

 

10. Ginger Beer

 

It might raise a few eyebrows, but Ginger Beer regularly makes the top ten seaside treats, possibly because of its association with our childhood reading the Enid Blyton books, where the adventuring children often had ‘lashings’ the softly fizzing soft drink, forever cementing it as part of our seaside holidays and a sense of excitement.

 

Ginger beer was originally an alcoholic drink, back in the 18th century, but the non-alcoholic version gained popularity in the US where it was brewed in response to the Prohibition Laws in the 1920s.

 

Despite the name, it’s not a beer, and it’s quite different from Ginger Ale. It is a very versatile drink, though, loved by young and old just by itself, or as a mixer for both cocktails and mocktails, and definitely a seaside staple! Why not grab a few cans for your Blackpool beach picnic this summer?

 

9. The ‘99’

 

There’s nothing quite like an ice cream by the seaside, but forget the Magnums, Calippos, and other pretenders to the seaside ice cream crown, there’s only one you should have - the ‘99’.

 

There are rules when it comes to this king of ice creams. A ‘99’ must be served in a cone, it has to be made with soft serve ice cream, and most importantly, it has to have a Flake stuck in it.

 

It had been suggested that the name of this seaside favourite came from its original price - 99p, but the truth is that the name goes way back, even before the introduction of decimal currency. The concept of sticking a Flake in an ice cream goes back to the 1920s, and in the 1930s Cadbury introduced a smaller version of the chocolate bar for ice creams.

 

It was named the Flake ‘99’ to honour the Italian men and women who dominated the ice cream trade in the UK, and referred to when Italy had a king and kept an elite guard that consisted of 99 men. You still might need a guard for your ‘99’, because everyone wants one!

 

8. Doughnuts

 

Wherever you go, you can always find doughnuts, from the jam-filled sticky treats to the big brand designer doughnuts with all manner of flavours, fillings and toppings.

 

However, on a visit to Blackpool, the doughnut is a simple affair, and all the better for it we think! A simple ring of batter, deep fried before your eyes, rolled in sugar, and served in a paper bag, and best enjoyed while still warm!

 

7. Potted Shrimp

 

Potted shrimp is a Lancashire staple, and would once be n essential addition to any seaside picnic basket. You can still pick up a tub of potted shrimp while you stroll along the promenade, and there’s something truly comforting about fresh, local potted shrimp spread on a slice of thick, buttered toast.

 

6. Blackpool Rock

 

Nothing says ‘seaside holiday’ better than a stick of rock. Whether it’s got your name through it, or ‘Blackpool’, it might not be something you’d eat every day, but it is definitely a symbol of holiday fun.

 

Brightly coloured, so sugary your dentist will have a fit, and fabulously crunchy, Blackpool Rock is a seaside treat wrapped in a twist of cellophane, and even in this day and age, trying to figure out how they put the words all the way through it is a mystery. Sure, you can find out, but why spoil the magic?

 

5. Candy Floss

 

Sticking with magical sugary treats, Candy Floss is a fluffy pink cloud of fun on a stick. Unicorns in fantasy castles in the sky appear to have spun it! Not only is it pretty, fluffy, and sweet, it’s still cool and retro. Everyone enjoys this wonderful wisp of spun sugar, with a taste and smell that is never forgotten.

 

4. Cockles, Whelks and Winkles

Being by the coast means the freshest and tastiest traditional seafood, which has recently enjoyed a boost to its long-standing reputation. They might often be somewhat of an acquired taste, but there’s little else like tucking into a pot of steaming shellfish by the seaside to simply warm the cockles of your heart

 

Boiled and seasoned with plenty of pepper and vinegar, cockles, whelks, and winkles are a real traditional seaside food, best eaten with a toothpick as you stroll along the promenade.

 

3. Slush Puppies

 

Compared to the long-standing histories of many of the items in our top ten, Slush Puppies are a relative newcomer. Invented in the US in 1970, this delicacy is made of a special syrup, mixed with water, then frozen, resulting in the combination of ice pellets in a sweet liquid that tastes of the syrup. It’s a wonderfully cooling treat on a hot day, just try not to get brain freeze as you suck it up through a straw!

 

2. Burgers and Hot Dogs

 

Whether it’s a simple burger or sausage in a bun, or a gourmet, towering stacker burger in a brioche bun, or foot-long hot dogs topped with delicious salsas and sauces, everyone loves a burger or a hot dog. It’s also a great idea for picky kids too, appalled by the idea of even looking at a pot of cockles!

 

1. Fish & Chips

 

It was inevitable that fish and chips grabbed the number one spot on this list. Fish and chips by the seaside have been a traditional treat since the 1860s and are the UK’s favourite takeaway food, as well as our topmost comfort food.

 

The aroma of the salt and lashings of vinegar on your fish and chips, mixed with the seaside air is as special a sensation as you can ever discover, and there’s no better place to enjoy award-winning fish and chips than right here at Coral Island, from the Big Fish Trading Co., or the Traditional Chippy.

 

What’s even better is that Kids Eat Free all day, every day at both of our chippys, as well as at The Buccaneer Family Bar and Restaurant and Peggy’s Snack Bar. Any child under ten can eat for free with each paid adult meal, making a trip to Blackpool and Coral Island even more value for money.

 

All this talk of food has got us salivating at the thought of what to have for lunch now! What’s your favourite, and what are you looking forward to eating the most when you next visit Blackpool?

 

Coral Island is open every day, as are our restaurants, and we’re right on the promenade in the centre of town - you can’t miss us or the grinning pirate skull on our facade! Don’t forget to bring your appetite!