Takeaway test (Sheffield Star 31/07/08)

ONE day when I've had enough of this journalism lark, I'm going to open a chain of fast-food restaurants selling delicious salads, nutritious steamed chicken and fish and vitamin-packed smoothies.
On a warm summer's night when you're too tired to cook, the idea of a curry swimming in grease, deep-fried fish and chips or stodgy pizza isn't appealing.

So thank goodness for The Proud Potato, which is making a stand for healthy takeaways - heck, there's even Slimming World leaflets on the counter.

Phil Waldron, who has owned the place since 1982, uses free-range eggs for the fillings and light mayonnaise.

The potatoes are grown locally, cooked fresh and only kept for an hour in the hot cupboard before being thrown away. Fillings are prepared daily and the walls of the takeaway are covered in health and hygiene certificates to show how clean the place is.

Phil said: "It's all good wholesome food. Healthy food does not have to be boring, any more than fast food has to be deep-fried."

Middlewood Road is an epicentre of takeaways with curry houses, chip shops, a KFC, kebab shops and more pizza places than you can shake a handful of oregano at.

But the spud shop stands loud and, well, proud, as being somewhere you can get a nutritious meal quickly and cheaply.

The menu is huge - there are seven different cheese fillings, five salad, three chicken and two prawn and that's just the cold ones.

There's also chilli, beans, frankfurters, chicken curry, chicken supreme, bolognaise and slimmers specials such as cottage cheese and pineapple.

And if you're torn between two you can get any of the fillings as a side-order so you can mix and match.

The most misleading thing is the potatoes are described as "regular" and "large" when really they should be "giant" and "enormous".

We ordered two large ones and they were the size of small turnips. One had almost a whole tub of coleslaw on and the other a small tin of beans and frankfurter.

It was the quickest takeaway we've ever ordered as the potatoes are already cooked and kept warm. It took longer to decide on a filling than it did to actually get the food.

The spuds were light and fluffy and although the skins weren't that crispy, they were still delicious. We also had side orders of pasta salad and Waldorf salad but actually ordered far too much.

The bill came to £9.60 but if the credit crunch is hitting you, a large potato with butter starts from just £1.90.

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Venue: The Proud Potato, 182 Middlewood Road, Middlewood

Telephone: 0114 233 0177

Opening times: Mon-Fri 11am to 2pm then 5pm to 10pm; Sat noon to 10pm and Sun 5pm to 10pm

Parking: on-street

Atmosphere: friendly, chatty staff

Service: quickest take-away in Sheffield

Delivery: No, but online menu at www.proudpotato.co.uk

Range of menu: huge – with most fillings healthy

What we had: large potato with beans and frankfurter (£3.50), large potato with coleslaw (£3.40), sides of pasta salad and Waldorf salad (£1.35 each)

How did it taste: delicious, filling and virtuous

Verdict: We'll be making a return visit.