THE nominees for the National Fish and Chip Shop Awards have been announced, with five Scottish shops making the shortlist.
Fourteen categories are being judged to find the UK's best takeaway, with 40 businesses to go through the next round of "extensive assessments" which will focus on a range of criteria including product quality, hygiene, environmental and operational sustainability, customer service, and industry knowledge.
The next stage will see the 40 being halved for the semi-finals, with the top 10 finalists being named later in the year. The awards ceremony will take place in February in London to announce the new champion.
Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), which runs the awards, said: “We’ve received a wonderful collection of entries for Takeaway of the Year – it is the badge of honour that many in the industry strive for, and we are very excited to see new names on the list.
"This year we invited the public to encourage their favourite chippies to enter, and the campaign has proved successful as the judging panel can see hidden gems emerging at this early stage.
“We’re also delighted to see others giving it another go which shows a commitment to excellence by taking on board previous feedback and coming back in a stronger position. It’s going to be an unforgettable experience for the new top 40 takeaways, and we wish them all every success for what we believe is going to be an amazing display of skill, tradition and innovation.”
The full list of Scottish nominees at the National Fish and Chip Awards:
- Aberdeenshire
- Garioch Fish Bar, Inverurie
- Lows Traditional Fish & Chips (Berryden), Aberdeen
- Ayrshire
- The Fish Works, Largs
- Fife
- The Wee Chippy, Anstruther
- Inverness-shire
- Hilton Chip Shop, Inverness
