There are few things we Brits have perfected more than the humble fish and chips. And look (before you feel the need to tell me), I’m well aware that fish and chips at the seaside reign supreme – but there are also some pretty fin-tastic chippies in London, too. And now we have it in writing, as two London fish and chip shops have been shortlisted for the National Fish and Chip Awards’ highly-coveted Takeaway of the Year award. As voted for by actual chippy connoisseurs, might I add.
Organised by the National Federation of Fish Friers; a panel of pros were given the tricky task of judging the plethora of tasty takeaways that entered the competition. They’ve whittled it down to a recently-announced shortlist of 40 spots, who are all ready and raring to compete to be named the number one plaice.
Credit: @stonesfishnchips via Instagram
The two London shortlisted spots are Brockley’s Rock in (you guessed it) Brockey, and Stones Fish and Chips in Acton. This is neither’s first rodeo, with both takeaways having been nominated for various awards in the past. Brockley’s Rock is frequently hailed South London’s finest chippy and has been the worth recipient of many food-based awards. Stones made it to the final 20 for this exact same award last year and also recently scored itself and Good Food Award. Both seem to be off the scale.
The next step will see the official board of judges chopping the list down to 20, before deciding on the final 10. The winner will be announced on February 26 at an award ceremony in the capital city. Chippies will be judged on factors including industry awareness, product knowledge, environmental and sustainability practice, and customer service. As delicious as I’m sure every chippy on the list is, we’re (of course) rooting for our London spots, because we think they’re batter than all the rest… okay, I’ll stop now.
President of the NFFF, Andrew Crook, said: “Fish and chips is such an iconic British staple and it takes huge amounts of skill and hard work to not only perfect the dish and other menu offerings but to also overcome challenges and sustain the business while keeping employees motivated and fulfilled. There’s a lot to it and each awards season we see greater depths of talent, expertise and business acumen and this trend has continued this year, too. Takeaway of the Year is the big one, so it goes without saying that the journey it takes contenders on is very intense.”
The National Fish & Chip Awards will take place on February 26, 2025 at Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge, London. Find out more about the other shortlisted chippies and how to attend the award ceremony yourself here.