National Fish and Chip Award winners experience a trip of a lifetime

Some of this year’s National Fish and Chip Award winners and runners up were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime visit to Iceland to experience firsthand the country’s fishing culture and heritage courtesy of the awards’ Restaurant of the Year category sponsor, Seafood from Iceland.

Restaurant of the Year 2024, Knight’s Fish Restaurant (Glastonbury, Somerset) and runners up, Noah’s (Bristol) along the 2023 winner of the same category, Fish City (Belfast), were taken to Reykjavik as the first location on this whistle-stop tour where they visited Brim, a key producer of sea-frozen fillets for the British market and received an onboard tour of the freezer trawler Vigri RE 71. They also visited Iceland Ocean Cluster which works with organisations globally to improve the utilisation of seafood and fostering innovation as well as tasting Iceland’s ‘home grown’ fish and chips at Fish and Chips Vagninn which was a finalist in the Overseas Chip Shop category at this year’s National Fish and Chip Awards.

The group then headed to the beautiful Snæfellsnes Peninsula to experience the unique nature and warm hospitality of the locals where they enjoyed sailing and sea angling. They also enjoyed a Fishermen’s Day programme in Rif, a visit to the Freezer (Apartments & Culture Centre) and a Fishermen’s Day ball in Ólafsvík.

Björgvin Þór Björgvinsson, project manager at Seafood from Iceland, sponsor of the award, says: “This Iceland trip with our National Fish and Chip Award winners and finalists and media team from the UK was outstanding. Our guests were so interested in the topic and joyful, so it was not possible to have a better group.

“During the trip we did see the importance of the fishing industry from many different perspectives. In our visits we met a lot of people and all of them were so open to share their knowledge, experience and passion which is all related to the fish and the fishing industry. Our foreign guests have returned to their homes and are helping us to tell the story about the Icelandic fish, how tasty it was, how responsibly sourced it is and the big role it plays in the UK fish and chip industry.”

Andrew Crook, President of the National Federation of Fish Friers and organiser of the National Fish and Chip Awards, says: “Our hosts made sure we had an unforgettable time, immersing us in their culture and stunning environment, allowing us the opportunity toexperience first-hand the inspiring approach to their way of life. Our winners were given the chance to get under the skin of the Icelandic fishing industry and to learn more about the country’s development of new technologies to address the impacts of climate change on warming waters.

“The highlights were definitely spending time on a sea trawler to see the hard work put into the fishing process, as well as visiting an authentic Icelandic fishing village, offering a real glimpse of what a fisherman’s life is like in Iceland. Thank you to the Seafood from Iceland for making this trip a truly memorable experience and allowing our winners this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Among the guests on the trip were Kevin Mitchell and Charlotte Mitchell, owners of Knight’s Fish Restaurant. This was the couple’s first trip to Iceland, and they said, “Since we have returned home, we have proudly told our customers all about Iceland, what we learned about cod and the fishing industry in Iceland. We also told them we were on the trawler that caught the fish they were about to eat.

“Winning this award has been a great experience for us, but the opportunity to visit Iceland was the icing on the cake!”, said Kevin and Charlotte about their experience.

Kate Authers a representative for Noah’s in Bristol, comments: “We were thrilled to get a such an incredible insight into our most popular dish and meet the people who work so hard to bring us the freshest catch from Icelandic waters. It’s such a beautiful country and an incredible opportunity for us to be able to share our learnings directly with our customers.”

John Lavery, owner of Fish City in Belfast, says: “Fish, as we know, is a world commodity, and Iceland is one of the major players in that space, so it was of great interest to get insights into what is happening in the industry there – how every part of the fish has value and is being utilised and processed for many different applications, including the skin for garments, and how fish is treated as a natural resource good for marine ecosystems and the planet. Sustainability and the environment are very important to Icelanders and the seafood industry, which impacts on us.

“We were also given the opportunity to meet local people from fishers to hospitality and beyond. We especially were lucky to be in Iceland for Fishermen’s Day and to be included in its festivities, from the Family Day and games to the annual Fishermen’s Dinner. For us at Fish City, it is essential that we can put faces and stories to the produce we serve on the plate. The country and its treasures, its dramatic landscapes and seascapes, is embedded in my memories, and I would urge anyone to experience Iceland for themselves.”

For more information about Seafood from Iceland, please visit www.seafoodfromiceland.com. Entries for the National Fish and Chip Awards 2025 are now open, visit: https://thefishandchipawards.com/.