#chipcrawl

The Potting Shed in Crudwell, North Wiltshire, have phenomenal triple-cooked chips. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Perhaps they could have been a touch more golden but who cares? They rocked. We were told that they were the biggest chips they'd served all night - indeed, these were some seriously chunky chips.

We had the chips as a starter to our main meal - the staff were not totally ready for this. We wanted a big sharing bowl of chips for the table, but were informed they didn't have "big bowls", so we made do with small bowls and shared a bottle of Prosecco instead.

Speaking of Prosecco, we used this opportunity to test a couple other chip theories: first, that fizz makes a perfect pairing for chips (thank you Matching Food and Wine). In this particular instance, it was totally true (particularly with chips dipped in mayonnaise - ketchup, however, was not ideal). Of course, I love Prosecco regardless of its match so it was hard to go wrong with this one: a cheerful beverage for a very cheerful occasion.

We also tested The Potting Shed's chips as filler for a "chip butty" sandwich, easily done as a complimentary bread boards comes before the meal. What a carb fest. Just as well we were all running a marathon the next day (not).

We conclude that the chips make a delicious butty with The Potting Shed's granary bread. We hope they will be adding this option as a first course to their menu soon.

The Royal Oak in Tetbury is a brilliant pub, a real breath of fresh (young, energetic, not twee) air in this corner of the Cotswolds. The staff are amazingly friendly and they love to talk beer - and man do they have a lot of it. It warmed the Austin, Texas side of my soul to see some bottles of Sierra Nevada and Negro Modelo lurking in the back refrigerator. Even better was the friendly man behind the bar who happily said "I can get you chips" (a la "I can get you a toe") before giving us a few tasters from their ale selection.

It begs the question: what is the perfect drink to go with chips? Some of you have offered some suggestions: champagne, Meantime London Pale Ale, John Smiths Extra Cold, crisp cider, fully-leaded Coca-Cola and even Yorkshire Tea with a splash of milk and no sugar.

I tend to agree with what James said: it's totally location and time dependent. And add to that, weather dependent!

And on this particularly chilly evening, in this particularly excellent real ale pub, beer felt like the right thing to do.

I went with Moor Beer Company's So'Hop, while my #chipcrawl buddy went for Stroud Brewery's Asparagasm. Both are beautiful beers, but for me the So'Hop won for chips (the Asparagasm is quite fruity and is possibly best best consumed on its own, though its namesake my disagree).

And what about the chips? We were divided. I thought they were splendid - it was the intact potato skins - super crispy - that really sold me. My chip-mate was less impressed. I concur with his assertion that the chips were not fluffy on the inside, but I didn't mind this.

For our chip dip, we went with ketchup and mayo, which led to another chippy question: what is the best dip for a particular chip? And could something be done to revolutionize the UK dip scene beyond ketchup, vinegar and mayo? (That said, a good mayonnaise is a thing of beauty!)

Dips and drink pairings are two topics we'll be exploring in more detail. If you have any thoughts on the matter, please drop a note in the comments. Every idea deserves a chance and we will investigate ALL suggestions in due course!

Classic fish shop chips. Crisp on the outside (but could have been crispier) and fluffy in the middle. Needed salt, but perfectly enjoyable. We ate them in the car. It made us feel like teenagers. Also of note: the people who work at Seafare are really nice - just 2p a smile!