National Fish and Chip Awards 2020

The National Fish & Chip Awards celebrate the nation’s favourite dish and recognise and reward those who are providing us with the best fish and chips across the UK, both in terms of product and customer service.

Each year the National Fish & Chip awards recognise talent and celebrate excellence, quality and choice offered by businesses across the fish and chip

Nominees are appraised in each of the key areas that highlight best practice against a range of criteria – with mystery dining judges attending the shops to assess a number of factors including sustainable sourcing practices, customer service, staff training and the overall quality of the fish and chips.

Organised by Seafish, the public body that supports the £10bn UK seafood industry, the annual National Fish & Chip Awards recognises true excellence in the fish and chip industry. The Young Fish Frier of the Year award is coordinated by Drywite Ltd. Following several rounds of judging, the Top Five shortlisted finalists for this award are:

Adam Hutton, The Wetherby Whaler, Wetherby , Yorkshire
Alex Walker, Low’s Traditional Fish and Chips, Berryden, Aberdeenshire
Charlie Collins, Frydales, Syston, Leicestershire
Jordan Profitt, Packet Bridge, Lancashire
Stephen Holden, Packet Bridge, Lancashire

In order to reach the final, the young friers first completed an intensive skills based assessment – which included chipping potatoes, making batter and frying fish. This was followed by a personal presentation and media interview during a comprehensive judging day at the headquarters of the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) Training School in Leeds.

Marcus Coleman, Chief Executive at Seafish said: “We’re extremely proud of the top five candidates, who have showcased their skills and talent at every stage of the judging process. The Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year Competition is a stand out category in the National Fish & Chip Awards, and the enthusiasm these young people have shown for their profession is truly admirable. They are the future of the fish and chip industry and we wish them all the very best of luck in the final round and beyond.”

Kelvin Lee, Managing Director of Drywite Ltd, said: “We’ve had an interesting mix of new faces and old hands who have previously entered the Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year Competition, but all candidates have been highly skilled and very knowledgeable making the results very close. It will be really exciting to see who claims the title this year.”

Mark Drummond, Head Judge, added: “Judging the Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year Competition is always an honour. Seeing the skills, knowledge and passion of young people in our industry is so rewarding and it’s very clear that the future of the industry is in very good hands.”

The final stage of the competition is a mystery shop visit, set to take place in the coming weeks, when the young fish friers will be judged on their practical skills within their own working environment.