Ten restaurants from as far afield as Devon, London and Yorkshire have been tipped for the top after making the shortlist for the 2026 National Fish & Chip Awards’ Fish & Chip Restaurant of the Year.
Following a paper entry, the top ten are:
Noah’s, Bristol
Squires Fish Restaurant & Take Away, Braunton, Devon
Linfords Traditional Fish and Chips, Market Deeping, Lincolnshire
Golden Union, Soho, London
Seashell of Lisson Grove, Marylebone, London
No1 Cromer, Cromer, Norfolk
The Cod’s Scallops, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Tuckers Fish & Chips, Cheddar, Somerset
Trenchers, Whitby, North Yorkshire
Whitby’s Restaurant & Take Away, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
Judges will now grade the participants against benchmarks that reinforce best practice, product knowledge, sustainability and food quality. The highest scoring five will progress to the semi-finals which will be announced later this year, with the overall winner crowned on 25th February at the awards ceremony at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel in London.
Robert Fernandes, marketing manager at V.A. Whitley, one of the award sponsors, said of the shortlist: “Each of these restaurants has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to quality, innovation, and customer experience – true ambassadors for the nation’s favourite dish of fish and chips. We congratulate them all and look forward to celebrating their continued success on the journey to the finals.”
Graham Kennedy, managing director of the Framwellgate Moor branch of Bells Fish & Chips in County Durham and the current title holder, was full of encouragement for this year’s competitors. He said: “Huge congratulations to the ten shortlisted for Restaurant of the Year 2026. Winning this award was one of the proudest moments in our history and an experience our team will never forget. It was challenging, exciting and immensely rewarding in equal measure.
“To this year’s contenders, enjoy every step of the journey and take pride in the recognition your hard work has earned. I wish each of you the very best of luck as the competition unfolds.”
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