Finalists for the Best Multiple Fish and Chip Operator Award category of the National Fish & Chip Awards 2013, organised by Seafish, the authority on seafood, have been announced. Stuarts of Driffield Superfish in Surrey Patrinis in Whitley Bay

The three shops will now be invited to an evening awards ceremony at the prestigious Lancaster London hotel in London on 24 January 2013, in a bid to be crowned Multiple Operator champion.

The awards celebrate the very best fish and chip businesses Britain has to offer and 2013 marks 25 years of the competition – ensuring the awards ceremony will be extra special and the various award titles hotly contested.

Martin Brown, of Unique Seafood Ltd, sponsors of the award category said: "Maintaining high standards across a number of units is never easy so the hard work and dedication of these businesses cannot be overlooked. Unique Seafood is always happy to support an initiative that celebrates the pursuit of excellence in the seafood industry. Good luck to them all.”

The Best Fish and Chip Multiple Operator Award category is open to businesses trading for more than 18 months that have a minimum of three outlets. They will each be assessed at a head office level on a variety of criteria including: PR and marketing activity, staff training procedures, sustainability and commercial awareness.

Nikki Hawkins, foodservice and events manager at Seafish said: "The standard of the entrants for the Best Multiple Fish and Chip Operator Award 2013 were of a very high quality. We are seeing the calibre of entries improve across all award categories year on year, which is great news for the industry.

"The shortlisted businesses understand the importance of crucial business elements, from head office to store level, across all fish and chip outlets. Ultimately though, it^s the consumer who benefits. We look forward to welcoming all the finalists to London in January 2013.”