Now the soppiest day of the year for couples is out of the way, it’s time to celebrate the nation’s love for its culinary ‘sole-mate’ – the chippy tea – as the countdown to the National Fish and Chip Awards on 28 February begins.
In honour of this momentous occasion and those that have successfully reached the Takeaway of the Year final, the National Federation of Fish Friers which organises the awards is highlighting that the public’s passion for fish and chips has ignited a new wave of excellence within UK chip shops.
As a thank you to the public for its support during challenging times for the industry, the exclusive ‘Golden Fork’ competition is being launched at every fish and chip shop featured in the Takeaway of the Year finalist line-up. This includes local fish and chip outlets Finney’s Fish and Chips in Benllech, Ship Deck in Caerphilly and Zero Plus Fish & Chips in Cardiff, which will be offering customers the chance to spin-to-win numerous prizes.
Chip shop lovers are invited to take part in the giveaway by visiting the Golden Fork microsite at https://goldenchipfork.com/ from 19-24 February to spin the virtual golden fork to scoop a tasty chip shop treat. If they’re successful, they will receive a QR code which simply needs to be presented at the chip shop to redeem the item.
If you didn’t already know, 20-26 February is ‘o-fish-ially’ National Chip Week, one of the Potato Council’s biggest annual awareness campaigns, making it an ideal time for to indulge in fish and chips.
Andrew Crook, awards organiser and president of the National Federation of Fish Friers, says: “The National Fish and Chip Awards is the perfect segway from National Chip Week and we are committed to supporting the ongoing dedication of all our industry professionals for creating exceptional fish and chips which remains a staple part of UK mealtimes.”
Speaking of the Golden Fork competition Andrew continues: “We don’t have long to go before the big day, so while we’re celebrating the awards and acknowledging the incredible work of the chip shop teams, we want to show our appreciation to loyal customers for their ongoing support of the businesses and to encourage more people to visit their local chippy. We hope everyone has great fun taking part and enjoys the various fish and chip feasts that are up for grabs.”
Seafood from Norway is the principal sponsor for the awards. Victoria Braathen, UK Director of the Norwegian Seafood Council, adds: “We’re incredibly proud to be part of the National Fish and Chip Awards and celebrating the dedicated people behind UK’s iconic dish. With the Golden Fork competition, fish and chip lovers across the country can take part in the celebration. Take a spin and see if you get lucky enough to win a prize at some of the UK’s very best fish and chip shops. You may even spot some facts about responsibly caught Norwegian cod and haddock.”
The 10 chip shops are invited to the awards ceremony hosted by comedian Rob Beckett on 28 February 2024 at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in London, where he will announce the winner.
For more information and bits on the National Fish and Chip Awards, please visit: www.thefishandchipawards.com.
The list of Takeaway of the Year fish and chip shop finalists are:
- The Fish Works, Largs, Scotland
- Yarm Road Fish and Chips, Darlington, Co. Durham
- Lighthouse Fisheries of Flamborough, Bridlington, Yorkshire
- Mister C’s, Selby, Yorkshire
- The Fish Bank, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Yorkshire
- Auckley Friery, Doncaster, Yorkshire
- Marina Fish & Chips, Skegness, Lincolnshire
- Finney’s Fish and Chips, Benllech, Wales
- Ship Deck, Caerphilly, Wales
- Zero Plus Fish & Chips, Cardiff, Wales
