Fish and chip shop still proud to be 'the birthplace of the deep-fried Mars bar'

The Carron Fish Bar in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, has refused a request to remove a banner advertising its signature dish

The Carron Fish shop in Aberdeenshire, which has been under pressure to remove its sign (The Carron Fish Shop/ Facebook )

With the Christmas decorations coming down and the seasonal festivities all wrapped up, the thoughts of many Brits have turned to their waistlines. Following the indulgences of the holiday period, thousands of us will pledge to slim down this month.

But not everybody will be shunning sugar or forgoing fat – and one UK eatery has promised it will continue to meet the demand for its decidedly unhealthy dessert, despite fears last summer that it could cease serving the snack.

The Carron Fish Bar in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, proudly bills itself as the “birthplace of the world famous deep-fried Mars bar”, with a large banner hanging outside the fish and chip shop advertising its signature dish, which it claims it created in 1992.

However in July the local council wrote to the owners asking them to remove the sign in a bid to “improve the look” of Stonehaven. Staff dug in their heels, insisting that the banner, which has been there since 2006, should stay. The dispute attracted a blaze of publicity, with the council subsequently backtracking.

“We still have the banner up – that’s a given,” Becky Knowles, who works at the Carron Fish Bar, told The Independent. “We have to keep it up. It’s our pride and joy.”

The shop experienced a surge in business following the rift, with customers queuing up to enjoy the high-sugar, fat-laden dessert.

“That week we were doing 200-plus bars,” Ms Knowles said.

She added that the staff had experimented with deep-frying different types of confectionery, including Tunnock’s teacakes and shortbread – but while fads may come and go, the deep-fried Mars bar is here to stay, banner and all, as far as staff at the Carron Fish Bar are concerned.