A Whitley Bay fish shop has found itself shortlisted as one of ten finalists in the Takeaway of the Year category at 2023's National Fish & Chip Awards.
Seated on the East Parade, Fisherman's Bay comes as the North East's sole establishment which has made the final shortlist in the catergory for the grand ceremony - which will take place next month.
The awards - which have been running for over 30 years - are being held by the National Federation of Fish Frier for the first time, with comedian Jason Manford hosting the event.
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Manager Steven Dhillon said: "It's brilliant to be honest, we've done really well the last couple of years and we wanted to try for this award from the get go. We've won local and regional awards for two years running, but the biggest and best one we want to get our hands on is the National Fish and Chip Awards."
But it's not just Takeaway of the Year which will be unveiled at the ceremony, with ten categories in total to name winners. Elsewhere in the North East, Bells Fish & Chips on Framwellgate Moor in Durham has also been named as one of three finalists under the Multiple Operator catergory.
It will face off against Bishops Stortford's Chesterford Group and Harlees Fish & Chips in Dorset on the night.
NFFF president, Andrew Crook, said: "We are really excited for the return of the National Fish and Chip Awards after we became the custodians of this prestigious event. With so many challenges currently for these small independent businesses it is fantastic to be able to highlight the great work the industry does, serving great value meals, providing quality employment and minimising the impact on the environment."
He added: "Running a small business can feel that you are alone and often it feels that we don’t feature in Government’s plans for economic recovery but the calibre of these finalists show that we have a professional sector that is ready to play its part and with the right support to enable growth we can continue to play our vital role working within out local communities."
The awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, February 28 at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in London and below are the shortlisted businesses:
Fish and Chip Takeaway of the Year
- Fishermans Bay, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear
- Fish Kitchen, Maesycwmmer, Caerphilly
- Whiteheads Fish and Chips, Hornsea, East Yorkshire
- Shipdeck, Trethomas, Caerphilly
- The Bearded Sailor, Pudsey, Yorkshire
- The Fish Bank, Elemet, West Yorkshire
- Low's Traditional Fish & Chips, Westhill, Aberdeenshire
- The Oyster Shell, Bath, Somerset
- Auckley Friery, Auckley, Doncaster
- The Fish Works, Largs, North Ayrshire
Fish and Chip Restaurant of the Year
- The Cods Scallops, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire
- Eric's Fish and Chips, Thornham, Norfolk
- Fish City, Belfast, Antrim
- Henry's of Hunstanton, Hunstanton, Norfolk
- Malt and Anchor, Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Best Newcomer
- Haughton Fish & Chips, Haughton, Staffordshire
- Lighthouse Fisheries Of Flamborough, Flamborough, East Yorkshire
- Hendo’s Fish & Chips, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Field to Frier
- Pier Point Fish & Chips, Torquay, Devon
- Fiddlers Elbow Fish & Chips, Leintwardine, Herefordshire
- The Real Food Cafe, Tyndrum, Stirling
Mobile Operator
- Pimp My Fish, Burwell, Cambridgeshire
- The Hungry Plaice, Holbeach, Lincs
- The Chippie Van, Penrith, Cumbria
- Jojo's Fish & Chips, Stafford, Staffordshire
- Country Fried, Langho, Lancashire
Staff training and development
- Jacksons Fish and Chips, Newton Abbot, Devon
- Stones Fish and Chips, Acton, Ealing
- The Chesterford Group, Bishops Stortford, Herts
Multiple operator
- The Chesterford Group, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire
- Harlees Fish & Chips, Wimborne, Dorset
- Bells Fish & Chips, Framwellgate Moor, Durham
Quality Accreditation Champion
- Henleys of Wivenhoe, Colchester, Essex
- Ipswich Codfellas Group by Ozzie Bozdag, Ipswich, Suffolk
- The Fish Works, Largs, North Ayrshire
Environment and Sustainability Champion
Fish City, Belfast, Antrim
Harbour Lights, Falmouth, Cornwall
The Fish Works, Largs, North Ayrshire
Supplier of the year
- Dennis Crooks
- Isle of Ely
- KFE Ltd
- Ceres
- Henry Colbecks
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