The UK’s top fish and chip shops have been revealed today (31 July 2018) as part of the annual National Fish & Chip Awards, organised by Seafish.

• Download the full press release (PDF)
• Download the full shortlist (PDF)

Following initial judging, 60 businesses have been shortlisted for the Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award – one of 14 categories in the 2019 National Fish & Chip Awards. Widely recognised as the ‘Oscars’ of the fish and chip industry – these fish and chip shops represent the best in the business and will now compete in the next round of judging in their quest to eventually become the number one fish and chip shop in the UK.

Hailing from across the country, the competing shops have been appraised against a range of vigorous judging criteria, including sustainable sourcing policies, menu development and innovation, staff training policies and processes, how well businesses communicate messaging about allergens to customers with special dietary requirements, and wider marketing and promotional activity and techniques.

Over the coming weeks the shops will undergo a further phase of mystery diner judging inspections in order to whittle the Top 60 down to a Top 20 listing, then a Top 10 shortlist, before the final stage of judging in London in January 2019.

Marcus Coleman, Chief Executive Officer at Seafish, said: "This award category showcases the leading fish and chip takeaways across the land, the shops that we all love to buy our fish supper from. The calibre of this year’s Top 60 is extremely high and provides a true representation of the quality found within the fish and chip sector.

"Entering the National Fish & Chip Awards provides so many business benefits that I’d wholly encourage any business owner who is on the fence about entering to look at the categories in this year’s awards that are still open for entry and complete an entry form. I promise that once you enter, you’ll not look back!”

Reigning champions David and Nick Miller of Millers Fish & Chips in Haxby, North Yorkshire, added: "To be crowned the Fish and Chip Shop of the Year at January’s National Fish & Chip Awards was an amazing experience. It kicked off an exceptional year for our business, which has been in the family for 77-years, allowing us to serve our traditional fish and chips with a modern and innovative approach to even more customers than ever before. Winning this award has been the pinnacle of our career and we’d encourage anyone who is interested in entering the awards to give it a go, you never know what it could mean for your business.”

The winner of the Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award will be announced at The National Fish & Chip Awards’ 31st anniversary ceremony in London on 24 January 2019.

For more information follow @FishnChipAwards #FishnChipAwards on Twitter.