National Fish & Chip Awards foodservice finalists announced

The three foodservice finalists have been announced for the 2017 National Fish & Chip Awards, organised by Seafish.

The Comfy Duck in Laceby, Lincolnshire; fish! Kitchen in Borough Market and Kingston upon Thames in London; and Morrison Supermarkets' Cafes with outlets across the UK will now compete against each other in the race to claim the Best Foodservice Operator Award.

The finalists were appraised across a wide range of criteria including responsible sourcing policies, seafood supplier relationships, preparation and cooking techniques, menu development and innovation, staff development and training practices, and customer service levels. In the past few weeks they have also received mystery judging assessments by industry experts.

Marcus Coleman, chief executive at Seafish, commented: "This award is proof that you can taste high quality fish and chips in places other than traditional takeaways.

"With more and more pubs, canteens, hotels and cafés serving fish and chips, it's important for us to recognise their contribution to the industry. This award celebrates businesses that don't focus solely on producing fish and chips, but nevertheless go the extra mile to create good quality fish and chips and provide customers with a great dining experience."

Mick Bacon, Responsible Fishing Scheme fleet manager, added: "This award is a great way for getting more general foodservice businesses involved in our industry, and when you witness the high standard of some of their fish and chips it's clear why we decided to create the award category."

The winners of the 2017 National Fish & Chip Awards will be announced at a ceremony at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London on 26 January 2017.