Ian Allsop, of Our Plaice in Hagley, has won the Drywite/NFFF Young Fish Frier of the Year award at the national Fish & Chip Shop of the Year competition.

The 20-year-old was presented with his gong by Ainsley Harriott at an awards ceremony in London.

Our Plaice is owned by Gregg and Caroline Howard. The shop is in fact a former winner of the main competition, having been crowned the best in the UK in 2004. Ian said: “I am absolutely over the moon to win this award – it’s like a dream come true. I’d like to say a huge thank you to Gregg and Caroline who have encouraged me and taught me the skills involved in running a successful fish and chip shop. The fish and chips industry can provide exciting opportunities and I hope I inspire others to consider it as a career.”

The Young Fish Frier of the Year category is run jointly by the NFFF and Drywite Ltd, providers of numerous products to the catering industry, specialising in products for fish frying. Briar Wilkinson, sales director, said: “We saw a very high calibre of entrants to this year’s competition and it was a tough decision. Ian really impressed us with his knowledge, passion and commitment to build Our Plaice as a successful business. I think he really is one to watch for the future.”