Jean-Christophe Novelli to be the host of the National Fish & Chip Awards 2014

Chef Jean-Christophe Novelli has been unveiled as the host of the 2014 National Fish & Chip Awards, organised by Seafish, to be announced next January.

"When I first arrived in the UK 30 years ago, one of the first British dishes I wanted to learn to cook was fish and chips," Novelli said. "There is such a wonderful selection of seafood in this country and fish and chip shops do a great job of making it even more delicious."

Paul Williams, chief executive of Seafish, said: "Fish and chips are a national institution and the awards provide the perfect platform to shout about how much we love them and show our pride in the excellent businesses selling quality fish and chips up and down the country.

"We're delighted to have Jean-Christophe Novelli on board as our celebrity host. He is a prestigious chef known for his quality and skill so he complements the awards perfectly."

Previous winners have seen their sales increase by as much as 100% within months of winning the award.