As you are all well aware, it’s National Chip Week – that time of year when a grateful nation celebrates the miraculous process by which the humble spud is turned into the mighty chip. Or indeed a portrait of Nessie.

Should you wish to know the weight of chips eaten each year expressed in blue whales or how many words the Brits have for fish and chips then the Potato Council has more facts and figures than you could ever wish to know here.

Gravy: right or wrong?

Of course, the most contentious question is what we should eat our chips with. Curry sauce, cheese and gravy all have their fans although this blogger is fairly sure that chips ‘n’ gravy is a step too far.

We all know about the great East West divide between those in Glasgow who like their chips with salt and vinegar while many in Edinburgh prefer salt and sauce.

Sauce being the mysterious brown liquid which was the subject of this brilliant Daily Record piece.

The 5pm Dining blog had never thought of making our own chippy sauce but the culinary geniuses at Innis & Gunn have devised a recipe.

Naturally, the ‘brewn’ sauce which the Edinburgh-based beer makers have come up with is made with Innis & Gunn Original.

Apparently, the sauce can be stored in the fridge for months.

Tuck in.

Brewn Sauce

Ingredients

1 white onion, diced

80g dried apricots

80g prunes

60g dates

100g brown sugar

220g malt vinegar

35g Worcester sauce

1x 330ml bottle Innis & Gunn Original

1 tablespoon black treacle

200g chopped tomatoes

1 apple, peeled and grated

Method

Sweat the onion in a little oil for five minutes until softened.

Add all of the other ingredients.

Bring to the boil, and simmer gently for one hour, stirring occasionally.

If the mix gets too dry and starts to catch, add a little water.

Tip everything into a blender and blend for 2-3 minutes, or until completely smooth and glossy.

Serve hot or cold, but kept in the fridge, the flavour will continue to improve.