There’s never been any doubt in our minds that Whitby is Britain’s epicentre of quality fish and chips and its status was confirmed again this week by its showing at the National Fish and Chip awards. It was a particularly good night for the Quayside, runner-up as the best independent chippie and third as the nation’s best takeaway. Trencher’s of Whitby shared the runner-up prize as best independent. And a third Whitby chippie, Royal Fisheries (in the same Fusco family as Quayside) won the staff training award.
You’ll notice that Whitby’s most famous fish and chip emporium is nowhere to be seen. Nothing against them but they get so much free publicity from journos who think they’re the only show in town that it’s good to see the accolades shared around. Just for good measure we’ve a soft spot for Mr Chips and on a summer evening as the sun goes down the sea views from Graveley’s half way up the Khyber Pass are almost tropically stunning. And while we’re at it the chippies at two Cleveland villages off the beaten track – Liverton Mines and Skinningrove – are the business.
To round off the awards, Brid’s Fish and Chips at 149 have two certificates to put on the wall; one as runner-up for staff training and, to prove it, the second went to Cori Standing, runner-up as Young Fish Frier of the Year. And, as the Dodo said in Alice in Wonderland, ‘All must have prizes’ so a final standing ovation for Morrison’s supermarkets of Bradford, runner-up in the category ‘Best Food Service Outlet Serving Fish and Chips Award.’ Must confess to never having tried them.