Yahoo News Durham and Whitley Bay fish and chip shops make final five in prestigious national award
Two North East fish and chip shops, in Durham and Whitley Bay, have made it through to the final five in a national competition. Both Bells Fish & Chips and Trenchers Spanish City have earned their position on the National Fish and Chip Awards list, in the Restaurant of the Year category, after a long process.
The two restaurants are joined by eateries in Devon, Gloucestershire and London, who have all experienced months of gruelling tasks, interviews and inspections by industry specialists, and one of them will be crowned as the best in the sector.
The National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) organises the awards and the notoriously comprehensive assessments entrants undertake are help to set a new benchmark in the industry, and to encourage goal setting for those taking part.
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The challengers will now face the mystery visits portion of the competition, which will be the decider for who will receive the title. The full list of those through to the final, which will take place on February 26, are:
Bells Fish & Chips (Framwellgate Moor), Durham
Pier Point, Torquay
Malt and Anchor, Cirencester
Toff’s of Muswell Hill (The Chesterford Group)
Trenchers Spanish City, Whitley Bay
President of the National Federation of Fish Friers, Andrew Crook, said: "The choice available in the restaurant space means fish and chip operators must pull out all the stops to standout and attract customers. We can safely say that we have found a group of business owners that are very accomplished in doing that and a whole lot more.
"Our finalists have such detailed focus on product refinement and skills honing that they are creating high-end fish and chips and dining experiences that can’t be denied. What a final Restaurant of the Year is going to be."
For more information and on the National Fish and Chip Awards, please visit the website here.
