The Brits love their fish-and-chips but now, breaking with tradition, the cod sold in chippies is often imported from Iceland, Denmark or Norway rather than caught by British fishermen.

This trend was brought about in the 1970s. Iceland banned the British fleet from venturing into a perimeter 200 miles off its coast, where fertile grounds for cod are found.

Many British boats have been catching and selling fish like turbot, monkfish, megrim and brill - apparently more familiar to the French and Spanish tastes.

Despite the boom in American fast food and Chinese and Indian takeaway restaurants throughout Britain, the national taste buds remain loyal to the exact ingredient of the dish they grew up accustomed to enjoying. About a quarter of the 800,000 tonnes of cod caught globally every year are consumed in the UK.

Around 250 million fish-and-chip suppers are sold annually.

But less conventional consumers are starting to swim against the tide.

'Highlander', wrote on the BBC's message board: "Many people are missing out by not even trying other types of fish".

'Ria' refuses to follow the crowd. She'd rather not eat cod "because of its association with people who won't stray away from what they know".