The United Kingdom is a nation of fish and chip loves. A chippy tea has long been a treat we have indulged in every now and again.
But now, the Fry Awards have revealed the nation's top 50 fish and chip shops. Each venue has been visited by mystery judges, who visited unannounced.
They have then judged the quality of the food, cleanliness of premises, staff knowledge, value for money, ease of ordering, and social media presence. Shops can achieve 100% if they score top marks in every section of the mystery visit.
But had to achieve over 95% to make the Fry Awards top 50 list for takeaways and over 92% to be named among the top fish and chip restaurants.
Judges commended the "excellent" service, and "perfectly packaged" food. They were also wowed by the sizes of portions offered by the top tier establishments.
The 2023 awards were the 11th to be held, with each year recognising the changing nature of the industry. This year for example, shops were commended for having introduced mobile ordering.
Top 50 fish and chip shops in alphabetical order
Ainsworth's Fish & Chip Shop, Caernarfon, Gwynedd
Angells Fisheries, Newark, Nottingham
Auckley Friery, Auckley, Doncaster
Bredon Village Fish and Chip Shop, Bredon, Tewksbury, Gloucestershire
Burnham Fish and Chips, Burnham, Berkshire
Catch Netherlee, Glasgow
Chips @ No.8 Prestwich, Manchester
Churchill's Fish & Chips, Eastbourne
Codfella's, Greenwich Avenue, Ipswich
Croft Street Fisheries, Farsley, Leeds
Dunkeld Fish Bar, Dunkeld, Perth
Ernie's Fish and Chips, Hoyland, South Yorkshire
Farnhams Fish and Chips, Brook, Llantwit Major
Fiddlers Elbow Fish & Chips, Leintwardine, Herefordshire
Finney's @ Port Chippy, Amlwch Port, Anglesey
Finney's @ The Golden Fry, Benllech Anglesey
Fish and Chips on The Waterfront, Anstruther, Fife
Fish Kitchen 1854, Maesycwmmer, Caerphilly
French's Fish Shop, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
Garioch Fish Bar, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire
Greg & Lou's, Redruth, Cornwall
Harbour Fish and Chips, Felbridge, West Sussex
Hiks, Swansea
Hill Top Fisheries, Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire
Hillycroft Fisheries, Morley, Leeds
Hooked on the Heath, Knutsford, Cheshire
Howe & Co Van 22, South Buckinghamshire
Kirbys of Horsforth, Horsforth, Leeds
Kirbys of Meanwood, Meanwood, Leeds
Land & Sea, Thirsk, North Yorkshire
Lily's @ Hornsea, Hornsea, Essex
Lighthouse Fisheries Of Flamborough, Flamborough, East Yorkshire,
Newington Fish Bar, Ramsgate, Kent
Off The Hook Fish And Chips, Sale, Cheshire
Pennington Plaice, Leigh, Greater Manchester
Pisces, Fleetwood, Lancashire
Portside Fish & Chips, Harrogate Road, Leeds,
Scott's Plaice, Gosport, Hampshire
Sea Salt +Sole, Dyce, Aberdeen
Stones Fish & Chips, Acton, West London
Sykes Fish and Chips, Pendlebury, Swinton, Greater Manchester
The Bearded Sailor, Pudsey, Leeds
The Chippy Van, Penrith, Cumbria
The Fish at Goose Green, Goose Green, Wigan, Greater Manchester
The Fish Works, Largs, North Ayrshire
The Friary, Carrickfergus, East Antrim
The Hook of Halstead, Halstead, Essex
The Lincolnshire Fryer, Lincolnshire
The Oyster Shell, Bath, Somerset
The Village Fish & Chips, Petts Wood, Kent
The Real Food Café, Tyndrum, Stirling
Yans Fish Bar, Heath, Cardiff
10 Best Fish & Chip Restaurants:
Catch, West End, Glasgow
Dunkeld Fish Bar, Dunkeld, Perth
Fish City, Ann Street, Belfast
Fisherman's Bay, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear
Harbour Lights, Falmouth, Cornwall
Linfords Traditional Fish and Chip Shop, Market Deeping, Lincolnshire
Maltings Fish and Chips, Baldock, Hertfordshire
Mary Lambert, Hartlepool, County Durham
Plattens, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
Quayside Restaurant, West Quay, Gourdan, Aberdeenshire
Seasmiths Fish and Chips, Wadebridge, Cornwall
Reece Head, competition organiser, told Fry Magazine: “Once again we’ve had another year where it’s simply got harder to operate a fish and chip business, with rising energy, labour and ingredient costs taking a heavy toll. It’s not easy but operators are working harder and smarter, staying ahead of changing tastes and behaviours and adapting accordingly.
“Although the profits might not be in fish and chips like they have in years gone by, the passion certainly is. And our awards are a testament to the hard work, dedication and commitment these operators put into running successful businesses. We’re seeing shops introduce vegan and gluten free options to appeal to a wider customer base, install self-serve kiosks and develop online ordering apps to make serving easier, invest in new frying equipment to produce better quality fish and chips, and embrace social media to engage with and reach more customers.
“The businesses that make up our 50 Best Fish & Chip Takeaways and 10 Best Fish & Chip Restaurants represent the best in the industry. They are pushing forwards while not losing sight of what makes the chippy so engrained in British culture - high quality, value for money food with great customer service and inviting surroundings.”
