Street-food-inspired seafood offers a new route to growth for fish and chip shops

Chef-led recipe inspiration showcases how Norwegian whitefish can help fish and chip shops tap into the street-food trend as a route to growth, through simple, versatile formats that attract new customers and demonstrate value through menu innovation.

As the sector marks National Fish & Chip Day, Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) says the growing influence of street food presents a clear growth opportunity for fish and chip shops, using chef-led Norwegian whitefish recipe inspiration to show how they can create bold specials and global flavour twists that build on the classic fish supper.

Street-food-style eating has been identified as a key summer 2026 menu trend, with 54% of consumers interested in trying unique dishes when dining out. As 75% of UK consumers describe themselves as “very value-led”1, NSC is presenting a clear opportunity for fish and chip shops to create globally inspired specials using Norwegian whitefish, offering new reasons to visit and demonstrate value beyond price.

The ideas were brought to life at NSC’s recent Inspiration Day in London, where National Fish & Chip Awards winners joined sector experts for a day of practical inspiration, insight and discussion around the challenges and growth opportunities affecting the fish and chip sector. The programme explored key topics including sustainability, experience sharing, marketing and menu development, before concluding with a reception at the Norwegian Ambassador’s residence, where the key takeaways were summarised and discussed.

As part of the programme, Michelin-starred chef Simon Hulstone demonstrated street-food-inspired Norwegian whitefish recipes designed to complement existing menus and help operators create new menu occasions in response to changing consumer expectations. From crispy haddock hotdogs and poppadom-encrusted saithe to nori-wrapped tempura cod, the dishes showed how simple formats, global flavours and existing kitchen equipment can help fish and chip shops explore new dishes without moving away from their core offer.

The dishes are intended to inspire wider thinking, helping operators identify formats that work for their own customers. By using quality Norwegian whitefish in familiar but fresh ways, fish and chip shops can test new specials, create conversation in-store and online, and give customers more reasons to engage with seafood menus during the summer season and beyond.

Bjørn-Erik Stabell, UK Director at the Norwegian Seafood Council, said: “Fish and chips will always be rooted in UK tradition, but the way people eat out is changing. Street-food-style menus and global flavours are influencing what customers expect, creating a clear growth opportunity for fish and chip shops.

“Through this chef-led inspiration, we want to show how Norwegian whitefish can help operators respond to those changes in a practical way. It’s not about replacing the classic fish supper, but giving customers more reasons to visit while keeping quality, provenance and value at the heart of the offer.”

Tiffany Irvin, owner of The Fish Works in Largs, Ayrshire and winner of the Field to Frier Award at the 2026 National Fish & Chip Awards, said: “At The Fish Works, we serve formats such as haddock bao buns and tacos, which have helped us keep the menu exciting and appeal to a younger generation, without replacing the core offer.

“For fish and chip shops, innovation is about building on what people already love, and these serves give us a way to keep the menu fresh, create conversation, and show just how versatile quality whitefish can be.”

Andrew Crook, President of the National Federation of Fish Friers, which collaborated with Seafood from Norway on the Inspiration Day, highlighted the value of creative specials as a test-and-learn opportunity.

“Creative specials and limited-time dishes give fish and chip shops a useful way to test new ideas, build customer interest in-store and online, and keep the category moving forward without losing sight of what makes fish and chips special.”

The activity forms part of Norwegian Seafood Council’s wider work with the UK fish and chip sector, supporting operators with recipe inspiration, provenance messaging and practical ideas that help them respond to changing consumer tastes while keeping seafood menus fresh, trusted and commercially resilient.

For further menu inspiration and innovative Norwegian whitefish recipe ideas, visit Seafood from Norway’s recipe hub, including  Spicy Cajun Fish Finger Brioche Roll, Fish and Chips Bites and Norwegian Cod Tacos.