18th November 2009

The search is on for Britain’s favourite frier

Seafish* has unveiled a new People's Choice award category in the national Fish & Chip Shop of the Year competition. Run exclusively with The Sun online and Suntalk, the Favourite Frier award will give customers the opportunity to vote for the staff in their local chippy.

Whether it's for charity fundraising, overcoming an illness or defying the odds to keep on frying, fish and chip fans across the country are being urged to promote the unsung heroes of the trade and nominate their local fish frier at www.thesun.co.uk/suntalk

If you run a chippy and fancy being nominated, make sure your customers know about the award. The deadline for online votes is Friday 11 December 2009 and all nominated shops will receive a mystery visit from a Seafish judge to ensure they meet industry standards. The winning shop will be announced in January prior to the finals of the national Fish & Chip Shop of the Year competition.

Winning friers will receive a plaque for display in their shop plus a VIP trip to London for themselves and three others, including dinner at celebrity chef Aldo Zilli's acclaimed Zilli Fish restaurant and four seats at the national finals of the Fish & Chip Shop of the Year competition in January.

Nikki Hawkins, project manager for the competition, said: "This award lets the public nominate the unsung heroes of the fish and chip trade and raises the profile of the people who create the nation's favourite takeaway. The standard of fish and chip shops across the country continues to rise every year, which is something we celebrate with the Fish & Chip Shop of the Year competition, and this new award will give the public their chance to say who they believe should be named as one of Britain's favourite friers."

* Seafish, the authority on seafood, was founded in 1981 by an act of parliament and supports the seafood industry for a sustainable, profitable future. Its services range from research and development, economic consulting, market research and training and accreditation through to account management and legislative advice for the seafood industry. www.seafish.org