'The fried fish-sellers live in some out of the way alley, and not
unfrequently in garrets; for among even the poorest class there are
great objections to their being fellow-lodgers, on account of the
odour from the frying. Even when the fish is fresh (as it most
frequently is), and the oil pure, the odour is rank.
'In one place I visited, which was, moreover, admirable for
cleanliness, it was very rank. The cooks, however, whether husbands
or wives—for the women often attend to the pan—when they hear of
this disagreeable rankness, answer that it may be so, many people
say so; but for their parts they cannot smell it at all …
'None, or very few, of those who are their own cooks, reside at a
greater distance than three miles from Billingsgate. A gin-drinking
neighbourhood, one coster said, suits best, "for people hasn't
their smell so correct there."
'At the neighbouring races and fairs there is a great sale of fried
fish … At Epsom races there was plenty of bread, I was informed,
to be picked up on the ground; it had been flung from the carriages
after luncheon, and this, with a piece of fish, supplied a meal or
"a relish" to hundreds …
'The capital required to start properly in the business is:
- frying-pan 2s. (second-hand 9d.);
- tray 2s. 6d. (second-hand 8d.);
- salt-box 6d. (second-hand 1d.);
- and stock-money 5s.
—in all 10s. A man has gone into the trade, however, with 1s.,
which he expended in fish and oil, borrowed a frying-pan, borrowed
an old tea-board, and so started on his venture.'