The 2018 National Fish & Chip Awards began their 30th anniversary year on the 4th May. The Awards are now open for entries and the nine-month path to find the best fish and chip business in the UK has stated. After 30 years of success the awards event that is commonly referred to as the ‘Oscars’ fish and chips is considered one of the most respected events for the seafood industry in the UK.
Since they started in 1988, the Awards event has been growing steadily in their size and popularity. With the milestone year started, the award operators have created a more streamlined and simple online entry process. The event organizers are Seafish and they have made an announcement reminding the fish and chip businesses around the UK to get their entries in.
Since the Awards started in the 1980s the industry has changed significantly. There are a number of more traditional chippies but the market has also expanded to include many different types of outlet including bars, restaurants, supermarket cafes and even mobile vans which offer a high quality of traditionally British fish and chips. The fish and chip sector has seen an increase in innovation because businesses are straying outside of the normal formats in order to stand out from the crowd, diversify their food offerings and to also improve how businesses communicate with both new and existing customers.
There are a range of award categories at the National Fish & Chip Awards, and the number of categories has had to grow to accommodate the different types of fish and chip businesses, whether they are big or small; they focus on frying or providing excellent customer service. The flagship Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award is the title most entrants are aiming for as it holds one of the highest of the industry’s honors and winners in the past have gone on to experience a great deal of success. Winners of this prestigious awards have reported that their sales increase up to 100% after being awarded the title.
