Seafish, the public body that supports the £10bn UK seafood industry, has today revealed the UK's top 20 fish and chip restaurants as part of the 2019 National Fish & Chip Awards.
Shortlisted as semi-finalists, the 20 restaurants will now compete for a place in the final and the chance to take home the enviable title of the 'UK's best fish and chip restaurant'.
Based throughout the country, the 20 best fish and chip restaurants are:
Catch Fish and Chips, Giffnock, Glasgow
Chesters. Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Fish City , Belfast
Hanbury's Famous Fish & Chips, Babbacombe, Devon
Knights Fish Restaurant, Glastonbury, Devon
Malt and Anchor, Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Murgatroyds, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Quayside Restaurant and Fish Bar, Gourdon, Aberdeenshire
Salt & Malt, Chew Valley, Bristol, Avon
Seafresh Restaurant, Pimlico, London
Something Else Fishy, Milborne Port, Somerset
The Cods Scallops, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
The Crispy Cod, Gelli, Pentre, South Wales
The Elite Fish & Chip Company, Sleaford, Lincolnshire
The Fishermans Wife, Whitby, North Yorkshire
The Harbourside Restaurant & Takeaway, Plymouth, Devon
The Scallop Shell, Bath, Avon
Trenchers Restaurant, Whitby, North Yorkshire
Welcome Stranger, Bodmin, Cornwall
Wetherby Whaler, Guiseley, West Yorkshire
To reach this stage of the competition, each restaurant has been carefully assessed against a wide variety of judging criteria, including menu development and innovation, responsible sourcing policies, staff training and development and marketing and promotional activity.
Judges will now make visits to each of the restaurants for mystery dining assessments. This next stage of competition judging will whittle down the shortlist and establish the top five fish and chip restaurants who will the receive further in house judging which will decide the placing of the Top 5 and the overall national winner.
Marcus Coleman, Chief Executive at Seafish, said, 'The best Fish and Chip Restaurant category is a celebration of the highest quality fish and chip restaurant dining experiences in the UK.
'The industry is perhaps better known for its take away shops; however this category rewards the restaurants that are serving delicious fish and chips as a core menu offering, providing customers with not only a delicious portion of fish and chips, but an excellent dining experience.
'We have 20 exceptional candidates in the semi-final shortlist and we wish them all good luck in the next round of judging.'
Award sponsor Alan Pearce, Field Sales Manager at Goldensheaf,added, 'This category rewards businesses committed to providing the highest standard of fish and chip dining experience, coupled what a drive to constantly improve standards and diversify their offering. We congratulate the 20 restaurants in reaching the semi-final and wish them the best of luck in the rest of the competition.'
The winner of the Fish and Chip Restaurant of the Year Award will be announced at The National Fish & Chip Awards' 31st anniversary ceremony in London on 24 January 2019.