Shetland fish and chip shop named best in UK

Frankie's Fish & Chips in Brae, Shetland, has won the title of best fish and chip shop at the 2015 National Fish & Chip Awards (20 January), organised by Seafish.

The shop was crowned the Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year during a ceremony at the Lancaster London hotel in London.

Frankie's Fish & Chips went through a rigorous, multi-stage judging process during the past few months, culminating in a presentation to a panel of industry judges by the top 10 finalists representing respective parts of the UK.

Valerie Johnson, owner of Frankie's Fish & Chips, said: "We now get to go home to Shetland and say that our fish and chips are the best in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales - without exception. How amazing is that? This is the highlight of my working life. I can't thank Seafish and my brilliant team enough. You're a credit to the seafood industry. 2015 is Frankie's year."

The final 10 places were shortlisted during earlier judging rounds, which included unannounced shop visits from industry judges. They were assessed on a wide variety of judging criteria including product quality, sustainable sourcing policies, marketing initiatives and customer service.

Paul Williams, chief executive of Seafish, commented: "Every year we see new and established talent vie for the top title, and the competition gets fiercer each year. This year was no exception and the judges were faced with a particularly tricky job in determining a winner.

"Frankie's Fish & Chips stood out throughout the judging process. Their passion and determination has to be admired. I would like to offer my warmest congratulations and wish them the best success in the future.

"The standards of entrants across all award categories improves year on year. Unwavering commitment to the industry and the efforts made towards responsible sourcing and maintaining standards are vital in ensuring future generations can enjoy the nation's favourite dish."

Co-sponsor George Clark, UK commercial manager of MSC, said: "With entries growing stronger every year this award has never been so competitive, making our role as judges even more challenging. It's always interesting to discover the different approaches that businesses adopt to promote their sourcing of sustainable seafood and educating customers."

Co-sponsor Sam Stone, fisheries officer of MCS, commented: "It's brilliant to see our fish and chip shops embracing sustainable seafood and supporting the most sustainable fisheries and farms like those that are Green Rated by MCS or certified by the MSC. The only thing better than a delicious fish supper is a delicious and sustainable fish supper."