If your perfect Friday night involves a suspiciously large parcel of chips, enough salt and vinegar to make your eyes water and a piece of battered fish threatening to escape the paper, we’ve got some very important news.
Three fish and chip shops in and around the East Midlands have made the longlist for Takeaway of the Year at the National Fish & Chip Awards 2027.
And yes, suddenly we’re extremely hungry.
The regional hopefuls are:
- Angell’s Fisheries, Newark, Nottinghamshire
- Catch 22, Tattershall, Lincolnshire
- Linfords Fish and Chips, Market Deeping, Lincolnshire
They’re among just 40 chippies from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland still in contention for one of the biggest prizes in the fish and chip world.
So, what happens next?
Getting onto the list isn’t simply a question of serving up a cracking bit of cod.
The competing shops will now face further judging, with industry experts looking at everything from the quality of the food and customer service to hygiene, sustainability and knowledge of the industry.
The 40-strong list will eventually become 20, before being cut again to a final ten.
The overall winner will then be crowned at the National Fish & Chip Awards ceremony in February.
Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers, which runs the awards, said the recognition was about more than simply picking up a trophy.
“As we celebrate the 39th year of the National Fish & Chip Awards, it’s brilliant to see talent, passion, excellent professionalism and dedication to their craft on display,” he said.
“Recognition like this is about far more than trophies – it’s about acknowledging the individuals who go above and beyond for their customers and communities every single day.”
The East Midlands chippies in the running
Angell’s Fisheries, Newark
Nottinghamshire gets its place at the table thanks to Angell’s Fisheries in Newark, which appears on the England longlist alongside contenders from everywhere from Bristol and Blackpool to Norwich and Liverpool.
For Nottinghamshire chip-shop obsessives, that’s one more reason to contemplate a trip up the A46.
Catch 22, Tattershall
Lincolnshire, a county that hardly needs lessons in proper comfort food, has Catch 22 in Tattershall flying the flag.
It’s one of two Lincolnshire names on the list.
Linfords Fish and Chips, Market Deeping
The county’s second contender is Linfords Fish and Chips in Market Deeping, putting the south Lincolnshire town firmly into the national chippy conversation.
Which means Lincolnshire now has local bragging rights riding on two portions of fish and chips.
No pressure, then.
Britain’s best fish and chips?
The National Fish & Chip Awards cover several categories, including Restaurant of the Year, Young Fish Frier of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.
But it’s Takeaway of the Year that comes with some particularly serious chippy bragging rights.
And with three East Midlands names still in contention, there could yet be a very shiny trophy heading our way.
We’ll take ours with salt, vinegar and curry sauce, thanks.
