Museum fishes for ancient fryer

The museum serves traditional fish and chips

A Black Country museum has launched a search for an antique fish frying range - to cope with visitor demands for the popular dish.

The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley is dedicated to preserving Britain's industrial past and already has one traditional fish bar.

But an increase in demand has resulted in the need for a bigger chip shop.

But first museum director Ian Walden says he must trace a frying range dating back to the 1920s or 1930s.

'Living experience'

Mr Walden said: "Our fish and chips have long been regarded as some of the best around, so we have to open this new, bigger building to deal with the number of customers wanting to try them.

"It is certainly a novelty to be able to buy fish and chips at a museum, but we offer visitors a real 'living' experience throughout the site so they can see - and even taste - what life used to be like in the Black Country."

The current chip shop - which merits a mention in the Rough Guide to Britain - opened 10 years ago using equipment recovered after a shop in Birchills, Walsall, closed down.

A building in Cradley Heath, West Midlands, has been acquired to house the addition to the 26-acre museum.

The former fish bar - which is in the path of a proposed relief road - will be taken down brick by brick and then rebuilt at the museum.

Mr Walden said: "The building will be moved to the site later this year so we are appealing to anybody who may know of traditional chip-frying ranges from the 1920s or 30s that we will be able to install in the new shop.

"There may be some still in use, or they may have sat neglected for decades, but we want to track them down to be restored for use at the museum."