10 out of 10

You couldn’t miss the 10th anniversary of National Fish & Chip Day even if you tried!

National Fish & Chip Day turned 10 this year, and the celebrations were impossible to ignore. What started as a small campaign by NEODA to shine a spotlight on our nation’s favourite dish now feels like a full-blown cultural fixture. This year, the industry showed up and showed off.

Shops across the UK didn’t just mark the day, they wholeheartedly embraced it. From social media countdowns to round-the-clock openings, 2025’s National Fish & Chip Day was louder and far more ambitious than ever before.

Bestwood Fisheries in Nottingham took things to another level with a 24-hour fish and chip marathon, opening their doors from 6am on Friday to 6am the following morning. “It was absolutely fantastic,” said owner Antonis Tsiolas. “The only time we didn’t have any customers was between 3:30am and 5:30am. One lady ordered five portions of fish and chips at 7:50am to reheat in an air fryer at work!” Backed by a 15-strong team, who Antonis can’t credit enough for their hard work, the takeaway had its busiest ever day.

Elsewhere, roadshows dished out thousands of free portions of fish and chips across Hull, Cardiff and London. From tourists and taxi drivers to schoolchildren and service men and women, no one was left out. Bishopstons Fish Bar in Bristol teamed up with Heinz to serve 100 complimentary portions, complete with a generous helping of Heinz Fish & Chips Sauce, while Krispies in Exmouth celebrated both the national day and its own 25th anniversary by unveiling a stunning mural on the side of its Exeter Road shop depicting a seagull flying off with their signature takeaway.

Westend Fish Bar offered a free cone of chips for anyone taking a selfie with Bruce the giant inflatable shark (well done to Laura Simpson who donned the costume and danced for the entire day), while Towngate Fisheries in Idle, Bradford, kept things playful. Customers who rolled 10 or more on a pair of dice got their entire meal free, with 46 lucky winners walking away with dinner on the house. Even The Chip Shop Diva from Merchant’s in Bewdley got in on the action, filming a TikTok video with the help of the Middleton Foods Batter Boys.

Outside the chip shop world, support was strong with primary schools to pubs, care homes to cafes all joining in. Lancashire Police used the day to tell the public about summer safety tips on Instagram, while in London’s Camden Market, football legend Chris Kamara joined biscuit brand Burton’s to serve up butties filled with its Fish ’N’Chips biscuits plus mushy peas or chocolate sauce. Yes, you read that right!

Media coverage spanned the entire day with mentions included on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio London and BBC Radio 4 while potato queen Poppy O’Toole was in the This Morning kitchen putting her spin on the classic chip butty. One LinkedIn commenter summed it up perfectly, saying “This is now all I want to eat,” suggesting that coverage of the day was driving traffic to fish and chip shops.

Politicians joined in too after NEODA wrote to over 600 MPs highlighting the challenges the industry is facing and urging them to support their local chippy. Knights Fish & Chips in Glastonbury, Somerset, hosted MP Sarah Dyke, who even got behind the fryer herself. And in what might be a first, one MP has filed a motion in Parliament to make National Fish & Chip Day a public holiday. We’ll say chip chip hooray to that!

Talking about the success of the day, NEODA representative Lynda Simmons, said: “I don’t know if it was because National Fish & Chip Day is 10 years in the making or because it was the 10th anniversary, but there was so much positivity on socials and fish and chip discussion groups around this year’s National Fish & Chip Day. We’ve had shops that didn’t do anything who were saying they were busier and a lot more shops saying customers were coming in saying “We’re here because it’s National Fish & Chip Day”. All in all, it was a really busy, positive day.”

There was certainly something different about this year. Was it the 10th anniversary? Was there an appetite to have some fun after a tough 12 months? Either way, it was a fantastic day with so many different events taking place. And perhaps it marks a turning point and a moment of proof for the sceptics that when the buzz is this big, even the most minimal participation pays off.

NEODA will crunch the numbers in time, but the takeaway is already obvious: this was the biggest celebration yet and the industry should be proud of its efforts.