Fish & Chip Shop Awards, Why Enter?

Pictured are Craig Maw, 49, with partner Nikki Mutton, 29, from Kingfisher Fish and Chips in Plymouth, who are the ‘UK’s best fish and chip takeaway’ - winner of the Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award at the 2017 National Fish & Chip Awards.

Celebrating the great tradition of fish and chips, the annual National Fish & Chip Awards showcase the best talent, quality and choice offered by fish and chip businesses across the UK. Rewarding excellence, the awards also put successful businesses on the map, via regional and national media coverage. Now in their 30th successful year, and recognised as one of the most prominent and respected seafood industry events in the UK, the awards have come to be regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the fish and chips world.

Established in 1988, the awards, overseen by Seafish, continue to support the wider fish and chip industry by:

• Rewarding individual excellence in a range of different award categories.
• Playing a role in raising quality standards and providing a benchmark for all fish and chip businesses to aspire to.
• Providing a robust platform from which to undertake a wide variety of media activity promoting the fish and chip sector and its many diverse facets, and to encourage the continued consumption of fish and chips amongst both the UK population and visitors to the country.

Entering the awards can also add excitement in motivating staff to be the best.

Entering the awards is easy and the accolade of being judged one of the best fish and chip businesses in the UK can have an enormous impact on business performance.

Media activity undertaken by Seafish in relation to the awards generates fantastic publicity for both participating businesses and the wider fish and chip sector. Across the award categories, various judging rounds culminate at a prestigious awards ceremony in London in January where all the award winners are announced.

BOOST TO BUSINESS

The accolade of being shortlisted in the awards can have an enormous impact on business – previous Regional winners’ of the flagship Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award category have seen their turnover increase by up to 50% and some past National winners have seen their turnover increase by as much as 100%! However, at every stage of the awards there are fantastic local PR and marketing opportunities for businesses just by being part of the awards.

TRAVEL AND LEARN

In a number of award categories, shortlisted businesses also have the opportunity to join various all-expensepaid industry study trip visits, providing the opportunity to learn more about where our seafood comes from. Previous visits have included trips to destinations including Norway and northeast Scotland.

PAST WINNERS

Read more on how entering the awards has made the world of difference to business owners at www.fishandchipawards.com/finalists-andwinners/testimonials
“2016 was a fantastic year for us as national winners of the Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award. Winning the title provided us with many new and exciting opportunities, including being invited to Japan to cook for 10,000 people! It has been an honour to represent Seafish and the National Fish & Chip Awards on a global scale.” James & Bonnie Ritchie, Simpsons of Cheltenham.

AWARD CATEGORIES:

The National Fish & Chip Awards encompass a variety of different award
categories:

Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award
Open to all independent fish and chip businesses with a takeaway facility.

Independent Fish and Chip Restaurant of the Year Award
Open to all independent fish and chip restaurants.

Best Mobile Fish and Chip Operator Award
Open to operators of mobile fish and chip businesses.

Best Multiple Fish and Chip Operator Award
Open to fish and chip operators with three or more outlets including franchises.

Best Newcomer Award
Open to fish and chip operators that are new to the industry from 1 May 2015 onwards.

Staff Training and Development Award
Open to all fish and chip businesses.

Best Foodservice Operator Award
Open to all foodservice operators that serve fish and chips but where fish and chips is not their core offering – such as pubs, cafes, department stores, hotels, travel and leisure.

From Field to Frier Award
Open to all fish and chip businesses and rewarding knowledge and promotion of responsible sourcing and sustainability practices.

Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year Award
Open to all applicants who are aged 25 years or younger as of 31 December 2017.

Marketing Innovation Award
Open to all fish and chip businesses.

Good Catch –
The Sustainable Seafood Award Open to all fish and chip businesses and rewarding knowledge and promotion of responsible sourcing and sustainability practices.

Healthy Eating ‘Fish and Chips’ Award
Open to all fish and chip businesses and rewarding those that excel in educating and informing their customers on healthy choices and the nutritional values of fish and chips.

Schools Award
‘Fish & Chip Friday’ – The School Meal Education Award – Open to entry for independent school catering operators and local council catering departments, and rewarding the serving of healthy fish and chips to school pupils.

NFFF Quality Award ‘Champion’ Award
Open to all current National Federation of Fish Friers Quality Award holders.

HOW TO ENTER

To find out more and submit an online entry, visit www.fishandchipawards.com or for further information e-mail: awardsenquiry@seafish.co.uk
You can also keep up to date with all the latest awards news via https://twitter.com/FishnChipAwards.

ENTER AND WIN

All businesses entering the awards by 30 July 2017 will also be entered into a free prize draw to win one of two places (along with travel and accommodation) on a training course of their choice at the KFE School of Frying Excellence www.kfeltd.co.uk/products/the-schoolof-frying-excellence