The UK’s best fish and chip shops are ready to ‘batter’ it out to gain the acclaimed ‘Takeaway of the Year’, with one Greater Manchester chippy up for the award. Forty fish and chip shops from across the country have made the category shortlist for the National Fish & Chip Awards 2026, but who will get first ‘plaice’?
Organised by the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), the awards provide an opportunity for fish and chip outlets across the UK to show the industry exactly what they are made of. Fish and chip shops will have to complete a meticulous set of tasks, challenges and interviews covering industry awareness, product knowledge, environmental and sustainability best practice, employer responsibilities, customer service, and more.
Of those shortlisted for the ‘Takeaway of the Year’ category at the National Fish & Chip Awards 2026 is Stockport chippy, Taylor’s. Located in Woodley, Taylor’s has been going since the year the England men’s football team last won the World Cup, 1966, and continues to keep the traditional British dish alive.
Others shortlisted for the award include North West fish and chip shops Westend Fish and Chips in Oswaldtwistle and Portland’s Fish and Chips in Liverpool. Last year, Taylor’s in Stockport was up for the same award as well as being nominated for ‘The Field to Frier’ award, which authenticates the great skill and precision in the selection of potatoes and the preparation and cooking to produce the best chips.
Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), said: “We’ve received a wonderful collection of entries for Takeaway of the Year – it is the badge of honour that many in the industry strive for, and we are very excited to see new names on the list. This year we invited the public to encourage their favourite chippies to enter, and the campaign has proved successful as the judging panel can see hidden gems emerging at this early stage.
“We’re also delighted to see others giving it another go which shows a commitment to excellence by taking on board previous feedback and coming back in a stronger position. It’s going to be an unforgettable experience for the new top 40 takeaways, and we wish them all every success for what we believe is going to be an amazing display of skill, tradition and innovation.”
The top 40 chippies shortlisted for ‘Takeaway of the Year’ at the National Fish & Chip Awards 2026
Henbury Fryer, Bristol
Kellaway’s Fish and Chips, Truro
Bells Fish and Chips, Durham
Grandpa’s Fish Bar, Durham
Alan’s Fish and Chips, Cullompton
Emerald Fish Bar, Newton Abbott
Taffs Fish and Chips, Torrington
The Fish Inn, Clacton-on-Sea
Taylors, Stockport
Mister Pink’s, Lymington
Mike’s Traditional Fish & Chips, Eastleigh
Lewis’s Fish and Grill, Maidstone
Newington Fish Bar, Ramsgate
Westend Fish and Chips, Oswaldtwistle
Catch 22, Tattershall
Hunters Fish and Chips, Louth
Brockley’s Rock, Brockley
Stones Fish and Chips, Acton
Portland’s Fish & Chips, Liverpool
Harrison’s Fish & Chip Co., Oxford
Knights Fish Restaurant, Glastonbury
Orwell Fish & Chips, Felixstowe
Tulula’s Fish & Chips, Halesworth
Seafare, Guildford
Harbury Catch, Warwick
Hawthorn Fish Bar, Birmingham
Mister C’s, Selby
Shaws Fish and Chips of Dodworth, Barnsley
The Fish Bank, Sherburn-in-Elmet
The Scrap Box, York
Finney’s Fish and Chips, Benllech
O’ My Cod Bridgend
Zero Plus Fish & Chips, Cardiff
Dolphin Fish and Chips, The Parrog Goodwick
The Merchant Fish & Chips, Ballymena
Garioch Fish Bar, Inverurie
Lows Traditional Fish & Chips (Berryden), Aberdeen
The Fish Works, Largs
The Wee Chippy, Anstruther
Hilton Chip Shop, Inverness
The next round will see the official board of judges chopping the list down to 20 chippies and then to the final 10. The National Fish & Chip Awards ceremony will take place in February 2026 in London, where the new winner will be announced and will take the baton from current champion, Yarm Road Fish & Chips in Darlington, County Durham.
For more information and bits on the National Fish & Chip Awards head here.
