Best chippies for chips named in national awards’ Field to Frier category

The National Fish & Chip Awards has selected a fresh batch of five fish and chip businesses for its Field to Frier category, which honours the best in the industry for chip cookery.

Redcloak Fish Bar - Field to Frier winner 2025

The ability to transform the humble potato into standout chips is no mean feat. The inseparable sidekick to cod, haddock, scampi, fish cakes or battered sausage, is a craft which requires mastery of potato selection and finely tuned approaches to preparation and frying.

The National Fish & Chip Awards is the home of the most coveted fish and chip industry accolades. Seasoned professionals lead the multi-stage assessments and for the Field to Frier category, eyes are on every aspect of the shortlisted chippies’ understanding of soil type, potato seasonality, best oils to cook with, optimal temperatures and frying time for texture and taste perfection. Hopefuls will also be critiqued on their business operations, sustainability values, customer service and more, to ensure the highest standards are being met.

The 2026 line-up of new, potato champion contenders poised to receive the baton from the current winner Redcloak Fish Bar in Stonehaven, Scotland are:

Lincolnshire

Linfords Traditional Fish and Chips, Market Deeping

Tyne and Wear

Trenchers Spanish City, Whitley Bay

Scotland

Aberdeenshire

Garioch Fish Bar, Inverurie

Lows Traditional Fish & Chips (Berryden), Aberdeen

Ayrshire

The Fish Works, Largs

Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), which oversees all aspects of the awards, says of the top five: “We are incredibly proud to present these fantastic fish and chip shops which are at the top of  game. Frying is a real art and knowing absolutely everything about the product is the key to serving delicious chips consistently all year through.”