Fish & Chip Takeaway of the Year 2026 semi-finalists announced

It’s the title that many chippies hope to be honoured with and it’s a dream that is becoming more of a reality for 20 businesses edging closer to winning the 2026 Fish & Chip Takeaway of the Year title.

Judges have cut the shortlist from 40 down to 20 semi-finalists following a Zoom call that assessed the chippies’ approaches to produce selection, industry knowledge, quality and sustainability.

The 20 takeaways that have made it through to the next round are:

Kellaway’s Fish and Chips, Truro, Cornwall

Bells Fish and Chips, Durham, County Durham

Emerald Fish Bar, Newton Abbott, Devon

Taffs Fish and Chips, Torrington, Devon

The Fish Inn, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

Taylors, Stockport, Manchester

Mike’s Traditional Fish & Chips, Eastleigh, Hampshire

Newington Fish Bar, Ramsgate, Kent

Catch 22, Tattershall, Lincolnshire

Brockley’s Rock, Brockley, London

Harrison’s Fish & Chip Co., Oxford, Oxfordshire

Mister C’s, Selby, Yorkshire

Shaws Fish and Chips of Dodworth, Barnsley, Yorkshire

The Fish Bank, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Yorkshire

The Scrap Box, York, Yorkshire

Finney’s Fish and Chips, Benllech, Anglesey

Zero Plus Fish & Chips, Cardiff

Garioch Fish Bar, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire

Lows Traditional Fish & Chips (Berryden), Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire

The Fish Works, Largs, Ayrshire

The next challenge for the top 20 is the interview stage, with the final 10 hopefuls being revealed next month. The National Fish & Chip Awards ceremony will be hosted on 25th February at the Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge hotel in London.

Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), which organises the annual ceremony, commented: “There’s nowhere to hide when a chippy puts itself forward for the National Fish & Chip Awards.

“The rigours of the process are designed to challenge, inspire and motivate all who take part and one of the benefits is that businesses receive direction for how to tighten up and truly be outstanding regardless of winning or not.

“Fish and chips hold such a special place in peoples’ hearts and it’s our responsibility to provide steer so that things stay that way and these fantastic 20 semi-finalists are great ambassadors for why it’s loved so much.”