The UK’s top 10 fish and chip shops were announced today (Tuesday 7 October) as they compete to be crowned Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year as part of the 2015 National Fish & Chip Awards, organised by Seafish.

The 10 fish and chip shops, from each UK region, will now ‘fry’ for glory in the race to bag the ultimate title. The shortlisted shops are:

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).

To get to this stage, the shortlisted shops have been put through a rigorous, multi-stage judging process undergoing assessments on a wide variety of criteria including product quality, sustainable sourcing policies, marketing initiatives and customer service.

The hopefuls will now put their presentation skills to the test when they face a panel of specialist industry and media judges. 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.

Paul Williams, Chief Executive of Seafish, said: "Seafish have organised the awards for the past 27 years. Our aim has always been to showcase the very best fish fryers in the UK while setting incredibly high standards for the industry.

"I would like to offer up my congratulations to the finalists and wish them the best of luck as they battle for the top accolade. The bar rises year on year for the awards and I can’t wait to see the top fryers go head-to-head at this year’s ceremony.”

The finalists will also now be invited to attend a study trip to Ålesund, Norway, organised by award sponsor, the Norwegian Seafood Council, to see first-hand why the country is regarded as one of the world’s most sustainable fishing nations.

Stuart Fusco, owner of Quayside, Whitby, North Yorkshire and last year’s winner of the Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year, commented: "Being named the UK’s best fish and chip takeaway was a dream come true. Our family business has worked hard towards achieving this award for many years and after winning, sales increased significantly.

"The judging process is very rigorous and challenging, but ultimately it comes down to your enthusiasm and love for the industry. Fish and chips are our family’s passion, and it’s an honour to be recognised for all our hard work. We would highly recommend getting involved in the competition because the opportunities have been superb and we’ve loved every minute.”

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.