Instead of just three finalists in the Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year Award, this year there are four after judges deemed the standards to be so high.
The four young friers heading to the National Fish & Chip Awards in London later this month where the winner will be announced are:
Kieran Bulpit – Linfords Traditional Fish and Chips, Market Deeping, Lincolnshire
James Ellams – Fish and Chips @ Weston Grove in Chester, Cheshire
Glen Marshall Morrison – Garioch Fish Bar in Inverurie, Scotland
Jamie Russo – Redcloak Fish Bar in Stonehaven, Scotland
Kelvin Lee, managing director of Drywite, which sponsors the award, says: “The calibre of young talent coming through the industry is amazing and the four finalists all have the potential to really drive their fish and chip careers forward in the future.”
Andrew Crook, awards organiser and president of the National Federation of Fish Friers, adds: “Winning the Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year award has proven to be a game-changing moment for many of its previous recipients and this year’s cohort is already demonstrating the kind of skillsmanship you’d expect from those who’ve been in the industry a lot longer. We’re very proud of them all and they’re a credit to their respective businesses.”
The Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year is open to those aged 25 or under, with a minimum of six months’ unsupervised fish frying experience under their belts.
To reach the final, all four competitors have undergone three rounds of judging, involving in-depth assessment of their industry knowledge and of their preparation and fish and chip frying skills by a group of sector experts.
The winner will be announced at The National Fish & Chip Awards on 28th February at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel in London.
