The National Fish & Chip Awards 2026 are officially underway, with the first round of judging for the Fish & Chip Takeaway of the Year category now complete and the top 40 contenders announced.
Industry specialists selected the 40 businesses from a paper-based entry round. These frontrunners will now progress to the next stage of judging, which includes extensive assessments across a range of criteria including product quality, hygiene, environmental and operational sustainability, customer service and industry knowledge.
The 40 takeaways competing for the title of the Fish & Chip Takeaway of the Year are:
Bristol
Henbury Fryer, Bristol
Cornwall
Kellaway’s Fish and Chips, Truro
County Durham
Bells Fish and Chips, Durham
Grandpa’s Fish Bar, Durham
Devon
Alan’s Fish and Chips, Cullompton
Emerald Fish Bar, Newton Abbott
Taffs Fish and Chips, Torrington
Essex
The Fish Inn, Clacton-on-Sea
Greater Manchester
Taylors, Stockport
Hampshire
Mister Pink’s, Lymington
Mike’s Traditional Fish & Chips, Eastleigh
Kent
Lewis’s Fish and Grill, Maidstone
Newington Fish Bar, Ramsgate
Lancashire
Westend Fish and Chips, Oswaldtwistle
Lincolnshire
Catch 22, Tattershall
Hunters Fish and Chips, Louth
London
Brockley’s Rock, Brockley
Stones Fish and Chips, Acton
Merseyside
Portland’s Fish & Chips, Liverpool
Oxfordshire
Harrison’s Fish & Chip Co., Oxford
Somerset
Knights Fish Restaurant, Glastonbury
Suffolk
Orwell Fish & Chips, Felixstowe
Tulula’s Fish & Chips, Halesworth
Surrey
Seafare Guildford
Warwickshire
Harbury Catch, Warwick
West Midlands
Hawthorn Fish Bar, Birmingham
Yorkshire
Mister C’s, Selby
Shaws Fish and Chips of Dodworth, Barnsley
The Fish Bank, Sherburn-in-Elmet
The Scrap Box, York
Wales
Anglesey
Finney’s Fish and Chips, Benllech
Bridgend
O’ My Cod Bridgend
Glamorgan
Zero Plus Fish & Chips, Cardiff
Pembrokeshire
Dolphin Fish and Chips, The Parrog Goodwick
Northern Ireland
County Antrim
The Merchant Fish & Chips, Ballymena
Scotland
Aberdeenshire
Garioch Fish Bar, Inverurie
Lows Traditional Fish & Chips (Berryden), Aberdeen
Ayrshire
The Fish Works, Largs
Fife
The Wee Chippy, Anstruther
Inverness-shire
Hilton Chip Shop, Inverness
The next stage will see the 40 being halved for the semi-finals, with the top 10 finalists being named later in the year. The awards ceremony will take place in February in London to announce the new champion.
Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), which runs the awards, says things are already shaping up to be a standout year for the event.
“We’ve received a wonderful collection of entries for Takeaway of the Year – it is the badge of honour that many in the industry strive for, and we are very excited to see new names on the list. This year we invited the public to encourage their favourite chippies to enter, and the campaign has proved successful as the judging panel can see hidden gems emerging at this early stage.
“We’re also delighted to see others giving it another go which shows a commitment to excellence by taking on board previous feedback and coming back in a stronger position. It’s going to be an unforgettable experience for the new top 40 takeaways, and we wish them all every success for what we believe is going to be an amazing display of skill, tradition and innovation.”
The National Fish & Chip Awards, sponsored by Seafood from Norway, comprises 14 categories including Newcomer, Fish & Chip Restaurant, and Environment and Sustainability.
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