Hanks Dirty Ipswich – Vegan Fish and Chips

We visited Hanks Dirty in Ipswich on 7th February 2025, excited to check out their new menu.

The weather was cold and miserable, which was basically the perfect excuse for proper comfort food.

I had already set my sights on the Tofish & Chips after seeing it on Hanks Dirty’s Instagram page. Since I’m on a secret little mission to find my favourite vegan fish and chips, I had to give it a go.

What I had

Beer Battered Marinated Tofu with Nori and Chips (£14.50)
This was Hanks Dirty’s pub-style take on fish and chips, made with beer-battered tofu, marinated and wrapped in nori to give it that sea-like flavour.

It came with chips, peas and tartar sauce, although you can swap the peas for mushy peas if you prefer.

The batter was the star of the show for me. It was properly crispy and golden, which is exactly what I want from this kind of dish.

As for the fish substitute, I definitely prefer tofu over banana blossom. Tofu feels chunkier and milder in taste, whereas banana blossom has a more noticeable flavour that I always seem to pick up on.

For me, tofu just works better for that classic fish and chips feel.

Sticky Toffee Pudding (£7.00)
For dessert, I had the sticky toffee pudding with ice cream.

It was warm, rich, sticky, and exactly what I wanted on a cold day. Proper comfort pudding behaviour.

Final thoughts

Hanks Dirty seems to have moved more towards homemade-style food, which I think helps justify the pricing.

They still offer things like burgers, hot dogs, wings, mac and cheese, dirty fries, nachos, salad bowls, wraps and kebabs, just with fewer options than before. To be honest, that probably makes ordering a bit less overwhelming.

I used to love the kebabs at the Colchester branch, so I think I’ll be back for one of those next. I haven’t had a kebab in ages, which is a tragic sentence really.

If you’re after hearty, pub-style vegan comfort food, Hanks Dirty is a good spot to check out.