Lincs Scene’s Stephen Doherty decided to take his family to the purpose-built restaurant and takeaway to find out what makes it so special.

We arrived at the 4:30pm opening time on a Wednesday and by the time we were seated and pouring our first cups of tea or sipping our Vimto we had been joined by around dozen other diners – a good sign, I thought.

We decided to opt for the fare the chippy has become renowned for – haddock and chips for me, cod and chips for my wife and small fish, small battered sausage and chips for our ever-indecisive daughter. However, the restaurant’s menu has an impressive choice including chicken, burgers, calamari, scampi, three vegetarian options as well as a tempting selection of starters, salads and side dishes.

Our dishes arrived sizzling hot and in generous amounts. Crunchy, crisp batter surrounded soft, white fish. The freshness of the food is why the chippy is an award-winner and my haddock had been plucked out of the sea by the boat ‘Endurance’ that morning. The accompanying chunky chips were perfectly cooked as was the ramekin of mushy peas confirming to me that fish and chips, when done this well, are the original and best fast food.

It’s not surprising the 60-seat restaurant has gone from strength to strength along with the takeaway side of the business. Both are bright, welcoming and spacious areas offering easy wheelchair and push access where friendly, well-trained staff are ready to help.

Dez and Lesley Graves have been in the chippy business for over 30 years and are committed to the future of both the restaurant and the industry it relies on. "It’s important to us at Burton Road Chippy that we consider fish sustainability and the environment,” said Dez. "We are committed to this kind of fishing and take active steps to ensure that all the fish sold by us is caught using sustainable methods to ensure our stocks are well looked after so future generations can continue enjoy fish and chips.”

In today’s world, where being ‘green’ is all-important, Burton Road Chippy passes with flying colours. A green policy is in place in all aspects of the business including biodegradable packaging, recycling, low energy consumption with staff encouraged to travel share or cycle to work. Potatoes are Lincolnshire-grown which cuts down on road miles and once used the cooking oil is turned into bio-fuel.

The freshness of the ingredients, coupled with Burton Road Chippy’s determination to protect the environment and utilise local producers is directly at odds with the practices of some large ‘fast food’ chains.

"We’re lucky to be in an area where there is an abundance of fantastic local produce, so there’s no need to go elsewhere unless absolutely necessary. Our food is fresh, from the potatoes to the fish and we always say that fish and chips, when done properly, isn’t fast food as we know it, it’s fresh food” added Dez.

Burton Road Chippy’s fantastic award in a national competition this year proves they are in a class of their own, although the people of Lincoln and many more besides already knew that!