A Chip Shop in Poznan: My Unlikely Year in Poland

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Theresa May tells Polish people they are ‘welcome’ in UK – despite her routinely tough rhetoric on EU migration

A Chip Shop in Poznań is author Ben Aitken’s memoir of his time working in a fish and chip shop in Poznań. Part memoir, part travelogue, A Chip Shop balances personal musings on love, attraction, and camaraderie, with heartfelt cultural impressions.

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Ben Aitken won me over with his unabashed nature and affinity for cultural immersion. Let’s dive in to see what Ben got up to in Poznań and Poland. So why Poland? And why Poznań?

Another thing that made the prospect of moving to Poland attractive was that whenever I mooted the idea, people generally laughed or frowned. If I’d said France or Spain, or Denmark or Italy, nobody would have questioned my intent, because the common sense has these countries down as desirable locations. As respectfully as possible, I hold common sense in contempt. In my experience, things that are commonly frowned upon or disparaged or unsung tend to be immensely pleasurable. Sunderland and microwave meals are cases in point. I hoped that Poland would be another.On to the narration which is no fault of the author, it was generally monotonous but better than if the Author had read it like in his previous books. My visualisation skills were working overtime when I pictured Aitken pounding “the surrounding streets … trying to identify the most likely house and practising my lines.” Aitken eventually found a house and the hosts somewhat gingerly welcomed him inside. Well, it’s up to you now to buy the book to find out what happened. So, why Poland?’ Frankly, it’s one of those ‘How long’s a piece of string’ type questions? When Poles ask the question, do they assume that Poland is such a dirt-poor country with zero opportunities? The author was not afraid to mix with the locals to understand their mentality a little better. For instance, chapter 12 highlights Aitken’s experiences roaming around Freedom Square in Poznań to hear people’s opinions on Brexit. Interestingly, opinion was split between those who like the EU for its money and those who thought the EU is just Germany.

Images previously embedded in my head of a grey and gloomy Poland were wiped out and replaced with colour, humour, a little suspense and a bit of an education, moving it higher up my list of ‘places to visit before I die’.

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The things he encounters and endeavors he undertakes (the Christmas dinner) are interesting and could be at times hilarious.