The best fish and chip shop in Britain has been named as Millers of Haxby.
The North Yorkshire chippy was the overall winner in the 2018 Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award, with the Burton Road Chippy in Lincoln coming second and Harbourside Fish & Chips in Plymouth third.
You can see the full process and criteria at the official website but suffice to say that this award is taken very seriously. There was a rigorous, multi-stage judging process over a seven-month period, encompassing mystery shopper assessments, audits by industry experts (reviewing everything from responsible sourcing policies to menu diversification), customer service assessments and, of course, a judgement on the quality of the fish and chips being served.
There was also a final stage on January 24 ahead of the prize giving in London, which took plaice (sorry) on January 25.
The winning shop, Millers, is a family business, currently run by 28-year-old Nick Miller with help from his 56-year-old father David.
‘We brought it home for Haxby! I can’t believe we’re the UK’s best fish and chip shop – words can’t describe how this feels,’ said Nick.
‘We entered the competition for the first time last year, and were so proud to get to the final, but to go all the way this time and scoop the ‘Oscar’ of the fish and chip world is truly amazing.’
Nick Miller (left) and dad David Miller, of Miller’s Fish and Chips in Haxby
Congratulations to Millers, but all the chippies on the shortlist (and many others beside) are well worth a visit. Here’s the full list of those that made it to the final 20.
Scotland
Cromars Classic Fish & Chips
St Andrews, Fife
Forehill Cafe
Ayr, South Ayrshire
Wales
Hennighan’s Top Shop
Machynlleth, Powys
Penaluna’s Famous Fish & Chips
Hirwaun, Rhonda Cynon Taff
Northern Ireland
Superbites
Crossmaglen, County Armagh
The Dolphin Takeaway
Dungannon, County Tyrone
North East England
(Northumberland, Co. Durham, Tyne & Wear, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, East Yorkshire)
Fish and Chips At 149
Barnard Castle, County Durham
Millers Fish & Chips
Haxby, North Yorkshire
North West England
(Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cheshire)
Fylde Fish Bar
Marshside, Merseyside
Seniors
St Annes, Lancashire
Midlands
(West Midlands, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Northamptonshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Warwickshire)
Oldswinford Fish & Chips
Dudley, West Midlands
The Golden Carp Chippy
Redditch, Worcestershire
www.golden-winyates-chippy.co.uk
Eastern England
(Lincolnshire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire)
Burton Road Chippy
Lincoln
Platten’s Fish and Chips
Wells-Next-The-Sea, Norfolk
www.plattensfishandchips.co.uk
London & South East England
(Greater London, Middlesex, Essex, Sussex, Kent, Surrey)
Henley’s of Wivenhoe
Wivenhoe, Essex
Newington Fish Bar
Ramsgate, Kent
Central & Southern England
(Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Berkshire)
Best Fry
Southampton
www.southamptonfishandchips.co.uk/bestfry
Captain’s Fish and Chips
Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire
www.thecaptainsfishandchips.co.uk
South & West England
(Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Avon)
Bishopston Fish Bar
Bristol
Harbourside Fish & Chips
Plymouth
www.barbicanfishandchips.co.uk
