SIR - As the owner of a very successful fish and chip shop I have to reply to your article (T&A, October 26).

At only £3.10 fish and chips are still excellent value for money, considerably cheaper than any other take-away meal.

They are also healthier than most other takeaways, containing less fat and less salt, and fewer calories than an average pizza, Chinese meal or curry with fried rice.

Indeed, in a recent study carried out by The Seafish Industry Authority, fish and chips were found to contain less than ten per cent fat, and this figure dropped to seven per cent if mushy peas were part of the meal.

This is considerably less than most recipes in a Jamie Oliver cookbook! Jamie's school dinner campaign was about eating a balanced diet and the problem he highlighted was school canteens serving chips every day.

No-one would recommend eating fish and chips every day but once or twice a week, as part of a balanced diet, they are a delicious and nutritious meal, and a good source of high quality protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, iron, calcium and dietary fibre, as well as being excellent value for money.

Mark Drummond, Towngate Fisheries, Idle, Bradford