Mermaids Fish Bar: takeaway chicken and chips box

"I’m not going to lie to you. When you say Hackney and food, for me the first thing that pops into my head is five wings and chips…I was even thinking about them the other day, that Mermaids Fish Bar in Clapton, I was thinking about those chicken wings. Their chicken wings are an absolute staple of my childhood.

When I think about food and culture and Hackney, I think I alway go to access to food - what people were able to afford and were able to eat and there’s something so special about five wings and chips, being that universal dish, bit of food that brought friends, family and strangers together. There’s something about five wings and chips that sits very fondly as a food that felt affordable but not disgusting, and was something that you wanted to have and you wanted to share with people. Like sitting down and having five wings and chips was like this is what is going to make you most content. And being happy with something that, maybe not the obvious thing, but it was small, it didn’t cost a lot, but the joy and value in something that costs so little…I miss those days basically because five wings and chips aren’t cheap, but yeah I think about food a lot".

Philippe Cato, 2023

Cardboard

Our Words exhibition, 2023:

Mermaid Fish Bar packaging
Mermaids in Clapton was one of Phillippe and Elizabeth’s favourite places for chicken and chips.
Mermaids Fish Bar, 2023