1 week Ago By [email protected] (Lynette Pinchess)
A fish and chip shop in Nottinghamshire has been named one of the best of the UK. Angells Fisheries in Newark has made it into the the top 40 takeaways in the National Fish and Chip Awards. The shortlist features chippies from the Scottish Highlands right down to Cornwall.
Angells, in Barnby Gate, has been described as nothing less than "absolutely fabulous" by one of its customers, while another said the beef dripping chips were the best tasting they'd had in years. The next round of the competition will see the official board of judges chopping the list down to 20 and then to the final ten. The awards ceremony will take place in London on February 26 at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, when the new winner will take the baton from current champion, Caerphilly-based Ship Deck.
Angells is the oldest chippy in the town, dating back to 1905. Current owners Sophie and Steven Angell took over the shop in 2021 and renovated and relaunched the business in 2022. Since then it has gone on to win a string of awards - as well as high praise from customers.
A panel of fish and chip experts have had the tough task of assessing the impressive takeaways that entered and while those shortlisted have already been making waves in the competition, the awards process will stretch them in many ways to ensure that these standout businesses set a new precedence for quality and industry standards. Organised by the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), the awards provide an opportunity for chippies across the UK to show the industry exactly what they are made of. The process involves a meticulous set of tasks, challenges and interviews covering industry awareness, product knowledge, environmental and sustainability best practice, employer responsibilities and customer service.
President of the NFFF, Andrew Crook, said the category has seen many fantastic submissions. He said: “Fish and chips is such an iconic British staple and it takes huge amounts of skill and hard work to not only perfect the dish and other menu offerings but to also overcome challenges and sustain the business while keeping employees motivated and fulfilled. There’s a lot to it and each awards season we see greater depths of talent, expertise and business acumen and this trend has continued this year, too.
“Takeaway of the Year is the big one, so it goes without saying that the journey it takes contenders on is very intense. At each stage learnings and recommendations are provided to encourage the hopefuls to keep pushing forward and that’s why the National Fish & Chip Awards is seen as the competition for chip shop owners that want the additional steer to become better than they were before. We’re off to a brilliant start and we’re excited for the next rounds and to honour these deserving people.
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