2021 National Fish & Chip Awards cancelled due to Covid-19

The 2021 National Fish & Chip Awards has been cancelled due to the current situation with coronavirus in the UK.

The announcement has been made by competition organisers Seafish, the public body that supports the £10b UK seafood industry.

Entries for the 2021 National Fish & Chip Awards were due to open on 1 May 2020, with judging to take place in late summer ahead of the awards ceremony next January.

In light of Covid-19 restrictions and the resulting closure of many UK fish and chip businesses, Seafish has decided to cancel this year's competition and turn its focus to helping fish and chip businesses to get back on their feet as quickly as possible.

Marcus Coleman, chief executive at Seafish, said, "We're aware of the huge impact Covid-19 is having on fish and chip businesses across the UK. In more than 30 years of running the National Fish & Chip Awards, the industry has never faced such a difficult situation and it's very sad that so many shops have been forced to temporarily close their doors over recent weeks.

"Although we're unable to go ahead with the awards this year, we are fully committed to supporting the UK fish and chip sector through this difficult time. We are focusing our efforts on how we can support all the shops and restaurants that bring us our fish and chips and ensure everyone can get back to enjoying our favourite dish as soon as possible."

Seafish is working on a range of initiatives to support seafood businesses during coronavirus, including collating information on how businesses are being impacted and providing regular updates to government. It is also regularly updating information on support and advice available on its website.

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