August 12, 2014 1.53 pm This story is over 121 months old

Lincoln chippy shortlisted for top regional chip shop award

Frying for wins: A Lincoln chippy is hoping to win regionals to get a chance to be the ultimate winner of the National Fish & Chip Awards.
Burton Road Chippy are no strangers to winning awards.

A fish and chips shop in Lincoln is in the finals to win best chip shop in the region at the 2015 National Fish & Chip Awards.

Burton Road Chippy is competing against six other successful fish and chip shops in Eastern England to win regional Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year.

Whoever wins the regional spot will then go into the national heat to win the ultimate title, which will be announced in January in London next year.

The six chippies are:

  • Burton Road Chippy, Lincoln, Lincolnshire
  • George’s Fish Bar, Bourne, Lincolnshire
  • The Cods Scallops, Wollaton, Nottingham
  • Grosvenor Fish Bar, Norwich, Norfolk
  • My Plaice Fish & Chips, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
  • French’s Fish Shop, Wells next the Sea, Norfolk

To be in with a chance initially, each shop was visited by a mystery diner and judged by industry experts.

The shops are assessed on product quality, sustainable sourcing, marketing and customer service.

Every year event organiser Seafish seeks the best talent to recognise those achieving the best standards in the fish frying industry.

Paul Williams, Chief Executive of Seafish, said: “These awards have not only improved the industry standards by consistently rewarding and testing businesses, they have also raised positive awareness of the issues surrounding sustainable fishing practices and encouraged shops to implement sustainable sourcing.

“Last year we witnessed some of the highest calibre of entrants ever. The bar is constantly rising and we can’t wait to see the top fryers battle it out this year.”

The top 10 regional shops will be announced in October, then invited on a study trip to Norway to see first-hand why Norway is regarded as one of the world’s most sustainable fishing nations.

Stuart Fusco is the owner of Quayside and last year’s winner of the Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year.

He said: “The judging process is very rigorous and challenging, but ultimately it comes down to your enthusiasm and love for the industry.

“Fish and chips are our family’s passion, and it’s an honour to be recognised for all our hard work. We would highly recommend getting involved in the competition because the opportunities have been superb and we’ve loved every minute.”