County Durham chippy celebrates Community Engagement prize win at National Fish & Chip Awards. Bells Fish & Chips in County Durham has been outdoing itself when it comes to supporting its local community and the efforts of the team have been recognised by the National Fish & Chip Awards, which has crowned the chippy as the 2026 Community Engagement award winner at this week’s ceremony in London.
The prize was introduced as a new category at last year’s edition of the UK fish and chip industry’s official competition to acknowledge and reward businesses helping to make their neighbourhoods even better places to live, work and play. Staffordshire’s Jojo’s Fish & Chips in Stafford and Time and Plaice in Doncaster, Yorkshire, were the other excellent finalist contenders also doing inspiring things to boost community bonds.
However, it was Graham Kennedy, owner of Bells Fish & Chips, who was handed the Community Engagement award by TV presenter and comic actor Stephen Mangan, the host of the 38th annual event.
The judging panel praised the Bells team for its deep commitment to building local relationships and upholding the cultural significance of the UK’s number one comfort food.
The chippy is a much-loved establishment in County Durham, and its Seaham branch has been recognised for its touching tribute to the town’s rich mining heritage.
Graham explains why the accolade is more than just a win for the business but for its customers and town as well:
“We are so proud to have won the Community Engagement award at the National Fish & Chip Awards 2026. Back in 2022, I was invited to view a disused bank building at Seaham Harbour which had closed. As I stood inside, looking out towards the sea, I found myself gazing at the very spot where my late father Alan had worked, six miles out to sea in a deep undersea coal mine.
“At that moment, I also realised the building stood on the very ground where railway lines once transported coal to the harbour, and at that point I had the basics of an idea, to create not only a high-quality fish and chip restaurant and takeaway, but a place which honours the town’s deep-rooted coal mining history.”
Both Graham and his wife Alleson are from coal mining families, with Graham’s father Alan, and father-in-law George both dedicating much of their lives to the pits. After serving for more than 30 years as a miner, Graham’s father retired and worked alongside him in his very first fish and chip shop, which Graham says he’s so pleased he was able to witness the launch of his business.
He continues:
“We have expanded a lot since then as has pride in our products and service and this is what led us to create our seafront premises overlooking the harbour. A site with such important heritage.
“Our restaurant has been thoughtfully designed to reflect that heritage, with the decor paying homage to the coal mining era and incorporates authentic artefacts and displays which celebrate the industry which once lay at the heart of this community. Outside stands our personal gift to the community of Seaham, a Corten steel sculpture we have named ‘George’ created by local artists Ray and Sam Lonsdale.”
Graham says this powerful miner’s head joins other Lonsdale works in the area and commemorates all the men and boys who lost their lives in the mines, alongside all the brave people who worked in them. The presence of millions of tonnes of coal beneath Seaham and County Durham created not just employment, but a sense of community and togetherness.
“It shaped special characters with remarkable qualities. Alleson and I are immensely proud of our heritage. Both our dads carried the mental and physical scars from working underground. Our mission therefore extends far beyond fish and chips. Our goal is to help keep our local mining history alive for future generations.
“We have developed educational resources and created interactive books for primary school children. Schools are invited to visit, fully funded by Bells, with pupils enjoying a fish and chip lunch whilst learning first hand from former miners who we invite to attend and meet the school groups.”
He concludes:
“We are the last generation of coal miners’ children, and we feel privileged to be able to offer this tribute to the whole community, as well as pay full respect to the memory of George Lloyd and Alan Kennedy, coal miners to the core, much loved husbands, fathers and grandfathers and most importantly wonderful men.”
The National Fish & Chip Awards is brought together by the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) and president of the association Andrew Crook, congratulates the new champion:
“Fish and chip shops have long held respected places in of our towns and cities and Bells Fish & Chips is a brilliant example of how important small businesses are for creating real, positive impact.
“The chippy epitomises community spirit, using its platform to invest time and care to encourage connection and promote local pride and the ripple effect of touching peoples’ lives is beyond measure. Congratulations to Bells Fish & Chips, the Community Engagement award winner! Thank you for all your great work!”
Faroese fish producer JFK which is the category sponsor has a well-established heritage in the fishing industry and is an expert in North Atlantic sea-frozen ground fish and processed fish. It’s also known for being a community-centred business. Its sales and operations director Jógvan Hansen says:
“We are delighted and honoured to present the community award to Bells Fish & Chips. To sponsor and present this award means a lot to our business. Fish and chip shops remain at the heart of the UK community, so it is vital they support it.
“Bells is a shining example of what that truly means — not just serving great food, but creating a welcoming space, supporting local initiatives, and bringing people together. Community spirit is built on everyday connections, and places like this play such an important role in keeping that spirit alive. We are incredibly proud to recognise their contribution and celebrate the positive impact it continues to make.”
Bells Fish & Chips 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