Fish and chips is a beloved British classic – offering comfort, familiarity, and above all, deliciousness.

It’s no wonder it’s often the go-to choice when dining out. However, one man was left baffled after ordering this staple dish at a restaurant recently.

His fish and chips arrived looking rather suspicious, prompting him to share his dining disaster on Reddit for public opinion. He posted a photo of his meal with the caption: “I ordered ‘Fish & Chips’ from a local food court and this is what I received.”

The image shows the fish, but not as you’d expect. Instead of a hearty piece of fish encased in crispy batter, he was served five small breaded fish portions alongside crinkle-cut chips.

The dish appeared to be smothered in a thin sauce with a side of mayonnaise (or something similar). If you’re a fan of traditional chippy tea, you might want to look away now.

The post has since garnered over 10,000 comments, with social media users expressing their disbelief at the culinary calamity. Many were puzzled by the “wetness” of the dish.

One commenter remarked: “It’s just brown and water.” Another chimed in: “It looks like some sort of alien-arachnid snot. I think I’m gonna be ill.”

A third user added: “The chips, fair enough but who serves fish in gravy? Also, those fish nuggets look processed.

“They can’t even batter a fillet? And what is that splodge of mayo? Is that supposed to be tartar? 0/10.”

A fourth disgruntled customer chimed in with: “I’d have sent that back. What a horrible mess.”

The picture sparked a debate among the public, with several questioning if it was even topped with gravy or another kind of sauce. The white condiment also spurred disagreement – was it tartar sauce or mayonnaise?

Eager to know where these horrors were being served, many asked for the location in disbelief that this could be a British rendition of the cherished dish, and causing offence among fish and chip enthusiasts nationwide.

One horrified individual penned: “I just need someone to quickly and swiftly reassure me that this didn’t happen in the UK… because oh my golly gosh. The white chips and the weird fish nuggets, the mayo looks like fascia and WHAT IS THE SLUDGE.”

Another agreed, exclaiming: “Yeaaa this food court is getting extradited to the UK for war crimes.”

Meanwhile, another chimed in with their own horror story: “I have seen some truly sad imitations of fish & chips from America over the years, but this is legitimately horrific.”