​Crisp Competition: Meet the Finalists of the Field to Frier Award

The National Fish and Chip Awards have announced a highly anticipated shortlist for their Field to Frier category, shining a spotlight on three exceptional chip shops from County Durham and Wales. These finalists have emerged victorious through rigorous rounds of evaluation, where industry experts scrutinised their profound knowledge and expertise in potato selection, preparation, storage, and frying techniques. The ultimate goal? Achieving the perfect chip - crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.

The awards' stringent judging criteria demand excellence, pushing participants to elevate industry standards and infuse fresh energy and opportunities into the fish and chip sector. The finalists, eagerly awaiting the award ceremony on 28 February at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, are Bells Fish and Chips from Durham, Finney's Fish and Chips from Benllech, and Ship Deck from Caerphilly.

Andrew Crook, President of the National Federation of Fish Friers, lauded the finalists' performance in the Field to Frier category: "The level of knowledge and skills these three fantastic fish and chip shops have demonstrated to the experts is to be greatly applauded. The care and passion for creating delicious food is a testament to their success, and there's no doubt that these chippies have even more to offer not only to their customers but to the industry as well. It's inspiring to be associated with such great businesses and to play a small part in encouraging their growth."

Sponsoring this year's award are Isle of Ely Produce, suppliers of over two million bags of potatoes annually to the industry, along with Agrico and its new, popular potato variety, Babylon. Agrico's sales manager, Alex Moore, expressed enthusiasm about the finalists: "This is an extremely good top three for our Field to Frier category. We look forward to them all trying Babylon potatoes soon and the day of the awards to crown the winner."

Oliver Boutwood, Director of Isle of Ely, added, "Once again, our award has been hotly contested. Here at Isle of Ely Produce, we look to champion the potato's journey, and these three finalists will all help us do this in the coming year."

As we await the exciting conclusion of this competition, we invite you to share your thoughts and predictions in the comments below. Who do you think will take home the coveted Field to Frier award?