The teams of three north and north-east fish and chip shops are on the crest of a wave as they have been named in a list of the UK’s top 50 fish and chip takeaways.
Fochabers Fish Bar in Moray, Garioch Fish Bar in Inverurie and Low’s Traditional Fish and Chips in Westhill all feature in the annual Fry Magazine Awards list.
The awards aim to recognise and celebrate the hard work, passion and dedication that fish and chip shop operators put into running their businesses in the UK.
The 50 winners are selected for continuously showcasing fish and chips as a high-quality, value for money meal.
How it works
The chippers are judged through mystery dining visits by leading trade publication, Fry Magazine.
An anonymous judge assesses key aspects of the business from the cleanliness of the premises to staff knowledge, professionalism and social media presence.
However, the main focus is the food, with the crispness of the chips, flakiness of the fish and crunch of the batter all being marked.
The process takes place over several months.
There were 100 marks up for grabs this year, with the benchmark being a weighty 96% or over for takeaways to win an award and 95% or over for restaurants.
‘A proud moment’
The team at Garioch Fish Bar, based on Burghmuir Drive, took to social media to express their delight at being featured in the top 50.
In a joint statement, they said: “A proud moment for the Garioch Fish Bar tonight when it was announced we had achieved the status of top 50 takeaways in the United Kingdom!
“Many thanks to our hard-working staff and to you our loyal customers.
“There’s 11,500 shops in total in the UK, so to break into the top 50 is a great achievement. We’ve worked very hard and we have other goals in our sight. This means a lot.”
The chipper offers a range of fish dishes to sausage suppers, as well as chicken fillets, burgers, nuggets and more.
Fochabers Fish Bar, which boasts a 10-strong team, has secured a place in the top 50 for a number of years now, something that owner Stuart Whyte is extremely proud of.
He says the most popular dish at the chipper is, of course, a fish supper.
Stuart added: “We have owned Fochabers Fish Bar for more than four years now, and have won this award every year.
“It’s great because it is a competition with a very high standard.”
It isn’t the first time that David Low, owner of Low’s Traditional Fish and Chips, and his family-run operation have been recognised at industry awards. Over the years the chipper has scooped several accolades, including gongs at the National Fish & Chip Awards.
The company boasts two venues that are open seven days a week.
Other north and north-east chippers to win at previous Fry Magazine Awards include McLeod’s Fish and Chips in Inverness and Sea Salt + Sole in Dyce.