Fishing for UK's next top shop
No sooner has the dust settled after the celebrations from last year's Fish and Chip Shop of the Year, than it's time to get the search for the 2008 victors underway. Seafish is calling for entries from the thousands of shops across the UK looking to be crowned this year's champions, in this, the 21st year of the competition.
Once again, the competition will be seeking out the best performing Fish and Chip shops in the UK - those reaching the highest standards of quality, customer service, innovation and food hygiene.
Being crowned the UK's top chippy is regarded as the industry's highest honour and the regional winning shops can expect to see an increase of up to 40 per cent in business. But it's not just the winners who benefit. The great thing about entering the competition is that all shops taking part benefit from the PR created - getting their customers enthused and their staff excited about the prospect of getting to the next stage.
Shops have until the 4th of July to register their interest in entering the 2008 Competition. A simple case of shops contacting Seafish by either writing/faxing/e-mailing/telephoning to say they would like to register for this year's Competition.
The competition involves a variety of judging rounds, that appraise a shop's practices and techniques, and also the all important product. Andy Gray, competition judge and project manager at Seafish said: "We have strict judging criteria and it's important that fish and chip shops are aware of the issues facing the industry. Last year we added in some questioning on sustainability and awareness of how important sourcing has become to consumers".
Despite the rising costs of food, fish and chips continues to maintain its popularity as the nation's favourite takeaway, And, if you're planning to treat yourself to a takeaway, with less than 10g of fat per 100g, fish and chips remains one of the healthier options available.
Look out for the flyers giving more information on entering this year's competition, or contact Andy Gray on 0131 524 8642, or a_gray@seafish.co.uk
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