Newcomer of the Year award

The Newcomer of the Year Award is an opportunity for chippies to ‘sea’ how they are faring since opening their doors for the first time since 1 January 2024 onwards. As the most in-depth competition of its kind in the UK, entrants of the National Fish & Chip Awards are assessed against industry benchmarks designed to stretch, inspire and improve the participating businesses.

Mackerel Sky Newcomer of the Year winner 2025

Scoring highly for produce and industry knowledge, quality, business operations, sustainability, customer service and the end product, to mention just a few of the measures, the hopefuls are a step closer to receiving the baton from 2025 winner, Mackerel Sky in Stamford Bridge, Yorkshire.

Here are the businesses showing great promise with fresh ideas for the longstanding takeaway favourite:

Bristol

Fisk & Frite

West Midlands

Skippers, Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham

Lancashire

The Cottage, Preston

Scotland

Inverness-shire

Monster Fish & Chips Co., Fort Augustus

Edinburgh & The Lothians

The Crab & Lobster Fish Shack, South Queensferry

Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), which is responsible for delivering the prestigious event, describes the category as real celebratory moment. “The fish and chip industry is one where the professionals within it really do live and breathe their craft, so when we welcome new businesses to the fold, there’s a great sense of collective excitement to see them succeed.

“These new arrivals are showing impressive passion and innovation right out of the gate, and we’re sure with steer and encouragement from us and the wider industry, things will only get better for each of them. We’re excited to champion them on their journeys and seeing what they do next.”