Stonehaven chipper the Redcloak Fish Bar has clinched two prestigious titles at the National Fish and Chips awards.
The business won ‘best newcomer’ after rivalling other UK takeaways that have been open less than two years.
Owner Jamie Russo also won UK’s ‘best young fish frier’.
He said: “It feels a bit surreal, we literally got back from London this afternoon. It’s all been go, go, go and it’s not really sank in yet.”
Stonehaven chipper had long journey to award wins
The reception at the House of Commons and awards ceremony in London on Wednesday were the culmination of a rigorous, months-long application process.
Mr Russo applied for the awards back in September.
All shops were assessed on numerous factors from how they source ingredients, to how they manage their oil to the sustainability of the business.
From there was a Zoom interview, where Mr Russo had the unusual experience of making fish and chips for the judges via Zoom.
He said: “I know it sounds silly looking at it over a camera but what you can see over the camera is incredible.”
After that came a mystery shop visit, where a judge secretly ate at the Redcloack to taste the food on offer.
Then there was an unannounced audit of the shop.
He said: “It’s a very in-depth process to go through. Don’t get me wrong – stressful at the time, but now coming home with that trophy it was absolutely worth it.”
Redcloack Fish Bar owner has been honing his craft for years
Although the shop has been open only nine months, Mr Russo has been honing his craft for a long time.
He said: “I started working at a fish and chip shop when I was 14-years-old. Then it was just a part-time job for me, but I started to develop more skills and eventually started to frying.
“As soon as a I put my first fish into the pan I just fell in love with fish and chips.”
While the shop has had success early on, Mr Russo said he hopes to keep improving Redcloak’s offerings.
He also thanked the community for their support since the shop opened.
He said: “It’s such a wholesome meal, it’s a big part of a lot of people’s family events.
“Just by providing fish and chips you’re a part of people’s events, whether its birthday’s, anniversaries or just a Friday night treat.
“We love the industry, I don’t think there’s another one quite like it.”
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