A survey published yesterday found 93 per cent of Northerners said their chips were the tastier option – with one in three Southerners admitting they agreed.

Overall, six out of 10 respondents said they thought chips in the North were superior to the southern equivalent.

And the results of the survey suggest it could result from local tradition.

While only a third of Southerners said they felt any provincial connection to chips, twice as many Northerners said they felt they were part of their regional heritage.

Yorkshire chef and chip connoisseur Brian Turner said: "Being a Yorkshire lad, chips were part of my upbringing and still remain one of my favourite dishes.

"As a chef I've eaten chips all over the world and still believe the very best chips are made in the North of England.

"I'm sure it's the way we cook them – usually in dripping – and what we serve them with. They always seem to taste best close to home."

Salt, vinegar and tomato sauce were universally popular accompaniments and the results showed differences between the way Northerners and Southerners enjoy chips.

Those in the South were more likely to add mayonnaise while more traditional accompaniments such as gravy, brown sauce and mushy peas found favour in the North.

Favourite chip meals differed too, with Northerners preferring chip butties and Southerners opting for steak and chips, although fish and chips found favour with all.

The north and south of England have been divided over chips since the 1860s.

According to Southerners, Joseph Malin opened the first fish and chip shop in Cleveland Street, London in 1860.

But Northerners claim a man from Oldham known only as "Mr Lees" first served the dish in the local market before setting up a shop in 1863 where a sign declared: "This is the first fish and chip shop in the world."

The survey of 2,219 people was conducted for the Potato Council's National Chip Week, which runs all this week.