Ten of the UK’s best fish and chip shops this month took part in the 2015 National Fish & Chip Awards educational study trip to Norway, courtesy of award sponsors the Norwegian Seafood Council.

This year, for the very first time, the shops met with top Norwegian chefs and taught them how to prepare fish and chips in a bid to take the UK’s favourite dish to Norway.

 

Visiting the cold, clear waters of the Barents Sea, which is home to the largest and most sustainable cod stock in the world, were representatives of the top 10 finalists in the Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award:

 

Frankie’s Fish & Chips in Brae, Shetland (Scotland) Penaluna’s Famous Fish & Chips in Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf (Wales) FishCity in Ballynahinch, County Down (Northern Ireland) Mister C^s in Selby, North Yorkshire (North East England) Papa^s Fish & Chips in Warrington, Cheshire (North West England) Simpsons Fish & Chips in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Midlands) Burton Road Chippy in Lincoln, Lincolnshire (Eastern England) Papa’s Barn in Ditton, Kent (London & South East England) Broughton Award Winning Fish & Chips in Broughton, Milton Keynes (Central & Southern England) Harbourside Fish & Chips in Plymouth, Devon (South West England)

 

As guests of the Norwegian Seafood Council, the regional winners enjoyed a three day, all-expenses paid trip to Ålesund on the west coast of Norway, where they learned about the supply chain of Frozen At Sea (FAS) fish from Norway to the UK. They witnessed first-hand the entire fishing process; catching, processing and filleting, and had the opportunity to study the science behind the country’s successful fishery management programme.

 

Aboard the famous Norwegian fishing vessel Andenesfisk 1, and surrounded by the beautiful fjord scenery, finalists experienced the process of trawling for cod; learning how a trawl is set, hauled and the resultant catch quickly frozen thus retaining freshness.

 

Also included in the trip was a visit to Klippfiskakademietwere (The Klippfish Academy), giving attendees the chance to exchange knowledge with a selection of top Norwegian chefs. Finalists shared their knowledge of the UK’s favourite dish, cooking traditional fish and chips for 45 guests, to encourage the Norwegian chefs to start a new UK food trend in Norway.

 

Lastly, learning more about Norway’s resource management, finalists received an insightful presentation from leading industry experts at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, as well as visiting a state of the art fish processing factory to learn about fish preparation methods.

 

Jack-Robert Møller, UK Director of the Norwegian Seafood Council, commented: "I hope the finalists found the experience as enjoyable as we did and learned something new about the whitefish they serve in their shops across the UK. They truly are fantastic ambassadors for the fish frying industry in the UK and I know the Norwegian chefs and guests were inspired by the delicious dishes they served.

"Here in Norway we pride ourselves on the quality of the fish we supply to fish and chips shops across the UK. It is essential to us that we manage our fisheries in harmony with nature to ensure the fish stocks in our cold, clear waters are in abundant supply for ever.”

 

Paul Williams, Chief Executive of Seafish, said: "Having already gone through a tough judging process, it’s great that we’re able to offer shortlisted shops the opportunity to attend this educational study trip, before the overall winner is crowned in January.

 

"The UK and many of the markets it imports from have taken huge strides in recent years in managing fish stocks, ensuring that customers across the country can continue to eat fish from sustainable sources. Norway is one of the world’s most sustainable fisheries. To witness their management efforts first hand and learn about where our fish comes from is a great experience for the finalist shops.

"We wouldn’t be able to offer this trip to our finalists if it wasn’t for the support of the Norwegian Seafood Council, so I would like to extend my thanks to them.”

 

The ten regional winners of the Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award will now put their presentation skills to the test when they face a panel of specialist industry and media judges in January. The shops will also be quizzed on a diverse range of industry related topics before the overall winner is announced at an awards ceremony at The Lancaster London Hotel on 20 January 2015.

 

The National Fish & Chip Awards recognises the best talent, quality and choice offered by fish and chip businesses across the UK.

For further information on The National Fish & Chip Awards please visit www.fishandchipawards.com. Follow @FishnChipAwards on Twitter for all the awards news and information.

For further information about the Norwegian Seafood Council visit www.seafoodfromnorway.co.uk and www.facebook.com/seafoodfromnorwayor follow @NorwaySeafood.