Fjord Transit
- austen
- 14 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Educational Trip for National Fish & Chip Award Winners
By Austen Dack
July's Chippy Chat heralded some of our fantastic fish suppliers, whether it be a nation like Norway, or a supplier like Collins. This feature was to review the NF&CA winners trip to Norway with Seafood from Norway!
I have been lucky enough to visit Norway numerous times as a guest on some of the world’s finest fishing vessels. This time it was on the impressive Geir playing host to the National Fish and Chip Awards winners of 2026.
The trip on Geir into the Fjords was fantastic. The crew were so passionate and the small group numbers gave us a one to one behind the scenes look into how fish are tracked, caught, cut and frozen as well as a taste of what it’s like to live onboard Geir for weeks at a time. The visit offered a unique perspective on the scale, skill and technology involved in bringing high-quality seafood from Norwegian waters to markets such as the UK.
Participants also gained insight into Norway’s approach to sustainable fisheries, including the science, regulation and responsible resource management that sit behind the industry. With UK fish and chip shops relying on high-quality fish, this part of the trip provided important context around provenance and the work that takes place long before fish reaches the frier.
Alongside time on the vessel, the day also included a fjord experience, RIB boat rides, networking and an evening dinner at the famous Alnes Fyr lighthouse with members of the Norwegian Frozen at Sea group.
The reaction from this trip has been amazing and what struck me most was the level of expertise, energy and cohesion within and between the NFFF National Award winners. It gives me a renewed hope that this industry which has been hit by so many factors including staff costs, energy, quotas and more still has a bright future ahead.
The (official) National Fish & Chip Awards are a robust and thorough way to take stock of your business. Getting through to the finals and even the top 40 shops in the UK (takeaway) will not only give you sales uplifts of up to 80% but also much needed FREE local, national and international PR. The 2027 competition is now open so take a look at the categories on pages 32-33 (mag link below)!
For me this whole trip is so worthwhile, engaging, educational and creates lifelong friends and partnerships across the fish and chip sector. As Bjorn Erik says, “We are stronger together” Once again to cement that bond some of the group took a 7 am plunge into the 8-degree Fjord waters!
On behalf of the whole group, I would like to pass on my thanks to everyone involved with making this trip happen including Seafood from Norway, all the staff and management from Geir and of course Andrew & Caroline from the National Federation of Fish Friers. Here’s to the 2027 adventure
