Young fish friers

THE UK’s top 10 young fish friers were announced on August 4 as part of the 2016 National Fish & Chip Awards, organised by Seafish.

To get to this stage and secure a place in the coveted shortlist, the friers have undergone a gruelling judging process involving the undertaking of telephone interviews and completion of exam questionnaires.

In the coming weeks, they will be subject to further judging as they undergo a skills based assessment and personal interview at a rigorous testing day at the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) Training School in Leeds, Yorkshire.

This next stage of the competition will whittle down the shortlist, establishing the five finalists who will compete to be crowned this year’s champion at the London awards ceremony.

Celebrating the best young fish friers across the country,

the Young Fish Frier of the Year Award encourages the younger generation in the industry to nurture their individual skills and talent to become positive role models for other young people working in the fish and chip sector.

Briar Wilkinson, of awards sponsor Drywite, said: ‘We’ve been running this competition for 20 years now and this year the standard of entries has again been exceptionally high.’ Paul Williams, chief executive of Seafish, said: ‘This award is such an aspiration and to be shortlisted is a great achievement in itself – it confirms that they have started their careers on the right track and are well on their way to becoming the UK’s next top friers.’

Culminating in a ceremony at the Lancaster London Hotel on January 20, 2016, the National Fish & Chip Awards are recognised as one of the most prominent seafood industry events in the UK.

They celebrate the great British tradition of fish and chips, recognising the best talent, quality and choice offered by fish and chip businesses.