Watch as Wearsiders enjoy their Good Fryday fish and chips in Sunderland

By midday, long queues could been seen snaking away from many of Sunderland’s most popular fish and chip shops.

According to Roman Catholic customs, Christians refrain from eating the flesh of warm-blooded animals on Good Friday in recognition of the day Jesus was crucified - but they can eat fish.

The tradition has now been adopted and enjoyed by many, regardless of their religious beliefs.

Two of the most popular places to enjoy fish and chips is Queens Cafe and Michella’s.

Having started working at Queens Cafe when she left school, Sheila French, who now owns the cafe, has spent 53 years serving Wearsiders making the annual pilgrimage to the coast to enjoy a much-loved Good Friday feast.

Sheila, 67, said: “It has been a really busy day. Good Friday and the Easter weekend is always the busiest time of the year. We had a queue stretching right up the road before we opened.

“In keeping with Good Friday tradition, most people have been ordering fish and chips. We see a lot of the same people coming back each year.”

One family enjoying Queens fish and chips were Paul and Fenton Frank.

Fenton, 13, who added gravy to his dish, said: “They were really nice. I’d give them a nine out of 10.”

Dad Paul, 48, added: “When we get fish and chips we always come to Queens. On Good Friday we often have our fish and chips in the house, but today we decided to get out and and take the dog for a walk.”

Peter Taylor, 72, also got his fish and chips at Queens.

Peter, who had travelled with his wife, daughter, and son-in-law from Houghton-Le-Spring, said: “We always get fish and chips on Good Friday, but we decided to head down to the coast today.

"They’ve been really nice. I would give them nine out of ten.”

There were also long queues outside of Minchella’s, including the Atherton family who had travelled from Easington.

Mum Kate, 43, said: “We travel to Seaburn every Good Friday for our fish and chips. It’s a family tradition and we’ve been bringing the kids since they were little.

"They were really good – nine out of ten.”

Fellow Minchella’s customer Callum Hopper, 31, from Chester-le-Street, added: “ We decided to head to Seaburn as it’s somewhere different to bring my daughter.

"I used to always go for Good Friday fish and chips with my parents. My meal was really good. I’d give it eight out of ten.”

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David Rogers, 39, from Whitburn, was also enjoying fish and chips with his family.

He said: “We always head to the coast every Good Friday for fish and chips. It’s something I also used to do with my parents. We went to Minchella’s this year and they were good – eight out of ten.”

Good Friday fish and chips at Seaburn was a new experience for Daniel Strange, 48, who moved to the area two years ago.

He said: “We used to go for Good Friday fish and chips at Southend-on-Sea and so it’s good to carry on this tradition at Seaburn.”