THE finest chips are served in the north.

A survey found that 93 per cent of northerners said the food on offer at their local chippy was tastier than anything they had sampled down south. And one in three southerners agreed.

Six out of 10 respondents nationwide said they thought chips in the north were superior to the southern variety.

The survey by the Potato Council found that although salt, vinegar and tomato sauce were universally popular accompaniments, the results showed clear differences between the way northerners and southerners eat their chips. Those in the south were more likely to add mayonnaise while more `traditional' accompaniments such as gravy, brown sauce and mushy peas found favour in the north.

The results came as no surprise in Mossley - regarded as the birthplace of fish and chips despite claims that the first chippy was in London.

It was at Mossley market in 1863 that John Lees combined fish and chips to produce Britain's favourite takeaway meal.

His food was so tasty that he was soon able to open a shop nearby complete with a sign in the window that read 'Chip Potato Restaurant. Oldest Established in the World'.

At the Village Chippy, around 100 yards away on Arundel Street, owner Mark Cox believes he knows what makes the difference between us and our friends in the south.

He said: "It's all about preparation and hard work. I think they use a lot of frozen stuff down there."

And Mark, 39, who runs the chippy with partner `Nanna Jo' Silversides, 44, says: "You see more variety up here. We do homemade pies and fishcakes. Even the peas are better."

Customers also gave the north the thumbs-up. Matthew Johnson, 18, who nipped in for cheese and onion pie, chips and curry, said: "I don't know what it is but they just taste different in the south."

Sharon Cooke, 30, whose favourite dish is fish, chips and peas, said: "It's like everything else - we just do it better."

Julie Simcox, 35, said: "The service up here is great, too."