A ‘CHIP’ OF A LIFETIME: SCOTTISH BUSINESS WINS NATIONAL FISH & CHIP AWARDS’ FIELD TO FRIER CATEGORY

A ‘chip’ of a lifetime: Scottish business wins National Fish & Chip Awards’ Field to Frier category. Largs-based chippy The Fish Works is celebrating as the National Fish & Chip Awards has officially crowned it the Field to Frier winner at last week’s ceremony in London, which was hosted by TV presenter and actor Stephen Mangan.

Recognising standout expertise with potato sourcing, preparation, storage and frying, the Field to Frier category honours those showing great care and attention to detail at every stage of the chip-making process, crafting the everyday ingredient into the iconic dish the nation adores.

The National Fish & Chip Awards, which is run by highly successful and experienced industry entrepreneurs all with their own fish and chip businesses, has been rewarding excellence since 1988. It is an unmatched competition with a robust, multi-step programme of assessments, interviews, tasks and mystery visits designed to challenge and stretch participants for the greater good.

In what has been a superb competition with the other finalists, Linfords Traditional Fish and Chips in Market Deeping, Lincolnshire and Garioch Fish Bar in Inverurie, Scotland, also showing first-class skill and innovation, there could only be one winner.

The Fish Works’ success is the result of a long-standing journey with the awards and dedication to refining its operations. Putting feedback from previous years into action has delivered an outstanding performance this time around, with the chippy scoring top marks across the board and pushing the bar higher for the wider industry.

A major contributing factor for its win was the installation of a purpose-built, on-site potato preparation facility to help streamline and make the chipping process more efficient.

Known as the ‘Potato Works’, it has a viewing area for customers to see the potato-to-chip transformation in action. Local schoolchildren have visited for educational trips, learning where food comes from and having a little hands-on experience feeding potatoes into the machine themselves.

The investment in the state-of-the-art equipment has truly paid off with the Field to Frier title now firmly in the bag. Tiffany Irvin, who owns The Fish Works with her husband Ross, says:

“Winning the Field to Frier award is incredibly special for everyone at The Fish Works, as it recognises something we are truly passionate about and practise every single day. From carefully sourcing the right potatoes to preparing and cutting our chips on site, we take real pride in understanding every step of what makes a great chip.

“This year, developing our new potato preparation unit has allowed us to showcase the entire journey from field to fryer in a clear and engaging way, giving our customers a genuine insight into the craft behind what we do. To be recognised for this is just incredible and reinforces the hard work, knowledge and dedication our whole team puts into producing outstanding chips while sharing that experience with our customers.”

The 38^th annual awards ceremony is the most prestigious event in the fish and chip sector and is brought together by the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF). Andrew Crook, president of the industry association, comments:

“Fantastic chips don’t happen by chance and Field to Frier takes an in-depth look at how businesses take sustainability, quality control, the art of frying and much more, into account.

“Getting it right batch after batch takes forensic-like expertise, it’s very technical and precise so when every chip comes out of the fryer, with an even golden colouring and that perfect texture and flavour, you know a master has been at work.”

He adds:

“The Fish Works team has gone to such great lengths to make sure the chippy produces the absolute best. The potato prep room is a clear demonstration of its love for the trade and for customers to have an experience that shows quality is everything. We can’t wait to hear of the new opportunities that are going to open for the business.”

Isle of Ely Produce, co-sponsor of Field to Frier, has been a leading potato supplier for the fish and chip industry for more than 40 years. Agrico UK is also part of the sponsorship and its Babylon potato has been winning over fish and chip shops during a trial period of the variety in recent years.

Oliver Boutwood, director at Isle of Ely Produce, welcomes the opportunity to recognise excellence:

“Congratulations! To see what they have done at their Largs chippy is simply amazing. They showcase the chipping potato process better than any other shop I know. They educate the local schools and show fantastic thought to potato choice, prep, storage and of course the all-important fry. We look forward to working alongside them in the year ahead.”

Alex Moore, MD of Agrico UK, shares his admiration for The Fish Works’ achievement:

“What a fantastic winner! We look forward to once again taking some Babylon up to the West of Scotland for them to put through their unique chip prep area. Well done to all our finalists too.”

The Fish Works and the other winners from the awards have been invited on an exclusive study trip to Norway, hosted on board the long-liner vessel Geir, where they will see first-hand how Norwegian seafood is responsibly sourced at sea. The visit will give operators direct insight into the country’s science-led fisheries model, helping to bring origin, provenance and sustainability to life.

For more information and bits on the National Fish & Chip Awards, please visit: www.nfff.co.uk/awards.

Image: NFFF