The nation’s fish and chip restaurants, takeaways and mobiles with the highest standards in food, customer service and marketing, have been revealed following mystery visits to shops the length and breadth of the UK.
The UK’s 50 Best Fish & Chip Takeaways and 10 Best Fish and Chip Restaurants 2022/2023 see mystery judges go into premises unannounced and secretly scrutinise a host of aspects including the quality of the food, the cleanliness of the premises, staff knowledge, value for money, ease of ordering and social media presence.
Shops can achieve 100% if they score top marks on every section of the mystery dine, but had to achieve at least 95% or over for takeaways to win an award and 92% or over for restaurants.
Judges’ comments included “the service was excellent”, “the food was perfectly packaged”, “the portions were good value” and “staff were clean, tidy and presentable. They wore name badges and hair nets. Most importantly they all wore a big smile.”
This is the 11th year the awards have been held and each year the judging criteria reflects the changing nature of the business. For example, this year marks were awarded to shops that have introduced an ordering app.
The winners in alphabetical order are:
50 Best Fish & Chip Takeaways:
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, East Yorkshire
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, comments: “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.
“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, instal 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.”
All takeaways, restaurants and mobiles that entered receive their mystery dining reports, and a winner’s poster and plaque to proudly display in their shops.
We would like to thank this year’s competition sponsors Frymax, KFE, NFFF, Nortech Foods, Drywite, Friars Pride, VA Whitley, Henry Colbecks, Seafood from Norway, BD Signs & BDigital and Pukka.
The Fry Awards 2023/24 will open for entry in April 2023 at www.frymagazine.com
