Seafish announces the UK's top 10 fish and chip restaurants
The UK's top 10 fish and chip restaurants have been announced, as part of the 2016 National Fish & Chip Awards, organised by Seafish UK.
The 10 restaurants will compete for the Independent Fish and Chip Restaurant of the Year Award to claim the title of best fish and chip restaurant in the UK. To get to this stage and secure a place in the coveted shortlist, the restaurants have been appraised across a variety of judging criteria, including responsible sourcing policies, restaurant appearance and facilities, staff training and development policies, marketing and promotional activity, and how they cater for customers with specific dietary requirements.
They also received mystery shopping judging assessments by industry experts to ascertain the quality of the fish and chips and the levels of customer service.
Over the coming weeks, the restaurants will be subjected to further mystery judging evaluations and in-depth judging audits.
This next stage of the competition will whittle down the top 10 to establish the UK's top five restaurants that will compete for the top accolade at the final awards at the Lancaster London hotel on 20 January 2016. Paul Williams, chief executive of Seafish, said: "The aim of the awards has always been to showcase the very best fish and chip businesses and individuals in the UK while setting incredibly high standards for the industry to aspire to. "With the popularity of fish and chips on the increase, the restaurant dining experience has now come up to par with the traditional ‘chippy' takeaway and is a potent symbol of British identity."
The top 10
Chesters, Chesterfield
Drakes Fisheries, York
Fylde Fish Bar, Southport
Hanbury's Famous Fish and Chips, Torquay
No 1 Cromer, Cromer
Papa's Fish and Chips, Willerby
Something Else Fishy, Milborne Port, Somerset
The Scallop Shell, Bath
Trenchers Restaurant, Whitby
The Tailend Restaurant, St Andrews