It’s fish and chip Friday (ie: every Friday) and if you’re keen to have the best fish and chips in the UK, you’re in luck.
The National Fish & Chip Awards 2020 took place last night, so we now have a pretty official ranking of the best chippies in the game.
This year’s big winner is The Cod’s Scallops in Wollaton, Nottingham.
Owned by John Molnar and wife Helen, The Cod’s Scallops beat off competition from nine other shortlisted finalists to be crowned the UK’s best fish and chip shop, an accolade which has led to previous champions doubling their turnover in the twelve months following the announcement.
The chippy won the title of the UK’s best fish and chips shop after excelling in sustainability, menu innovation, catering for special dietary requirements, customer service, and marketing activity as well as making blimmin’ good fish and chips.
They were judged over an eight-month judging period, which included mystery shop visits and a final presentation to a panel of industry experts.
So yes, it’s all very serious and the prize is quite the honour.
Owner John Molnar said: ‘We’re absolutely thrilled to be crowned the UK’s best fish and chip shop! It’s an honour to take home such a prestigious title, especially being up against the country’s top establishments.
‘Our experience in The National Fish & Chip Awards has been an incredible journey and we’ve loved every minute of it. It’s a brilliant achievement for the team at The Cod’s Scallops and we are so proud of everyone for their efforts.
‘Entering the awards has taught us so much about our business as well as the fish and chip industry and we would encourage other operators to get involved.
‘We want to thank everyone who has supported us along the way as well as our customers who we value beyond measure. Without them buying fish and chips every week, we wouldn’t be here. What a way to start 2020 and we can’t wait to see what the future brings.’
Hopefully it brings more fish and chips.
If you can’t be bothered to head to Nottingham for your Friday dinner, never fear, as the awards have drawn light to a bunch of other excellent fish and chip establishments.
Prizes were also awarded for the best fish and chip restaurant, the best newcomer, the young fish frier, and other categories all listed below. So you can go ahead and take your pick – all of these are likely to be very good.
All the winners at the National Fish & Chip Awards 2020:
- Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award: The Cod’s Scallops, Wollaton, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
- Best Fish and Chip Restaurant Award: Trenchers Restaurant, Spanish City, Whitley Bay
- Best Newcomer Award: Lewis’s Fish & Grill, Maidstone, Kent
- NFFF Quality Award Champion: The Real Food Café, Tydrum, Stirlingshire
- Best Seafood Week Campaign Award: Penaluna’s Famous Fish & Chips, Hirwaun, Aberdare
- Best Foodservice Operator Award: Mary Lambert Artisan Bakery, Hartlepool, County Durham
- Menu Development and Innovation Award: Fish City Belfast, Belfast
- Marketing Innovation Award: Shap Chippy, Shap, Penrith
- From Field to Frier Award: Fish & Chips @ Weston Grove, Upton, Chester
- Good Catch Award: Fish & Chips @ Weston Grove, Upton, Chester
- Staff Training and Development Award: The Wetherby Whaler, Yorkshire
- Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year: Charlie Collins, Frydales, Leicester, Leicestershire
- Best Mobile Operator Award: The English Indian, Lichfield, Staffordshire
- Best Multiple Operator Award: Sutton & Sons, London
- Seasonal UK Seafood Award: Something Else Fishy, Milborne Port, Sherborne
- Outstanding Achievement Award: Richard Ord, Colmans of South Shields, Tyne and Wear
Londoners don’t have a load of options to choose from. Hammering home the city’s reputation for being rubbish at delivering decent fish and chips at reasonable prices, only one London-based fish and chip shop was nominated in the awards.
Sutton & Sons picked up the title of the best multiple operator fish and chip shop, getting acclaim for their efforts in sustainability and launching a vegan menu.
Husband and wife duo Danny and Hana Sutton have been serving east Londoners traditional deep-fried fish delivered fresh from their own fishmongers for the past few years at their three restaurant locations: Stoke Newington, Islington, and Hackney Central.
Their popular vegan ‘fish’ is made from banana blossom, marinated in seaweed, then battered, and is available at all their locations.
Danny Sutton said: ‘We’re absolutely thrilled to be recognised as the UK’s best multiple operator fish and chip shop!
‘Considering the tough competition in London, needless to say the rest of the UK, we are just so happy to be recognised by our peers, especially when we went out on a limb and started our vegan menu.
‘We have been completely gob-smacked by its popularity. People have visited us from all over the country – and the world! – just to try our take on vegan fish. we appreciate now that providing these options has allowed more British people to celebrate and engage with tradition.’
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