Industry comes together to back big day…..
As National Fish and Chip Day 2023 draws ever-closer – the big day is Friday 2nd June this year – we wanted to highlight more of the sponsors who enable this, the biggest food awareness day on the calendar, to happen.
Event founders, NEODA, were thrilled to announce headline sponsors, Middletons, Henry Colbeck, Friars Pride and V A Whitley, earlier this year. In addition, Seafood from Norway, T Quality, Blakemans and Frymax have also come on board as key event sponsors.
Here’s a bit more about them and why they are getting involved. Norway’s cold, clear waters, which are home to the world’s largest cod stock, are perfectly balanced to produce fish of the highest quality and the Norwegian Seafood industry works hard to keep it that way. As a national fish and chip shop supplier and fast-food wholesaler, T Quality offers foodservice solutions that are local, efficient, friendly, and reliable. Fish and chip shops, fast food outlets, pizza and kebab outlets, and wholesale fish markets all rely on T Quality for their products. They are a multi-site, fully integrated company offering a national delivery service as well as a depot call/click and collect service and they have an excellent track record of providing excellent customer service, quality products and strong national brands. Their 12 sites include Avonmouth, Birmingham, Bovey, Tracey, Bridlington, Darlington, Glasgow, Leeds, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Staplehurst, Swansea and Swindon.
Frymax, the UK’s number 1 frying oil and the friers favourite for over 65 years, says “It is again honoured to be one of the sponsors of National Fish & Chip Day which celebrates the UK’s classic and traditional take-away”. Blakemans are one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of sausage and meat products and are the industry leading supplier of sausages into the fish & chip industry. The family business, based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, is celebrating its 70 th anniversary this year and has come a long way from its humble beginnings in a converted barn to the purpose built, state of the art manufacturing facility, capable of producing in excess of 500 tonnes of product per week that they operate today.
So why are they sponsoring National Fish and Chip Day?
Norway is a proud supplier of responsibly sourced cod and haddock to UK consumers through close collaboration with distributors and the talented network of fish and chip operators. Seafood From Norway say National Fish and Chip Day is an important opportunity to celebrate this longstanding relationship, and the nation’s favourite dish. While T Quality says that National Fish and Chip Day plays a crucial role in promoting fish and chips. As an awareness day, it points a spotlight on the industry when otherwise it would just be another day in the calendar. At T Quality they are proud to support the day and have since its inception. They encourage all shops to help raise awareness of the day and stress that shops do not have to run offers in their shops, simply make customers and the wider public aware of the day and encourage people to eat fish and chips.
The Blakeman family has sponsored National Fish & Chip Day for a number of years now and consider the day to be an important celebration of a driven and community minded- sector. On sponsoring NF&CD, Phil Blakeman (Managing Director) said, “We like to do what we can to give back to an incredibly hard-working industry that has provided us with their loyal custom for decades. We have a lot to thank the lovely people of the fish & chip and fast-food industries for. The national dish and those who lovingly prepare and serve it work tirelessly and have proven repeatedly to be the pillar of many communities throughout the UK. It seems only fitting that they have this annual celebration, and we are honoured to be able to play a small part in this fitting tribute.”
In terms of plans for this year, Seafood from Norway has an action-packed study trip to Norway and collaborations with National fish and chip award winners from around the UK, in effort to encourage the industry to offer sustainable menu options, and to position seafood as a wholesome protein choice that is good for the people and the planet.
T Quality will be on hand to offer support at all NEODA events up and down the country. All T Quality depots will have point of sale in the form of National Fish and Chip Day posters available for shops wishing to promote the day alongside other activities.
Meanwhile, in continuation of their Fish & Tips campaign, Seafood from Norway has created a selection of free and easy-to use resources for fish and chip operators to help tell the story of the produce behind the dish, so that together we can celebrate the national day and keep fish and chips front of mind – now and in the future too.
Everybody needs a ‘feel good day’, and NEODA, along with all the sponsors, want National Fish & Chip Day 2023 to be even more special as we say a very big thank you to this amazing industry who are at the heart of every community, and who are facing enormous challenges with price rises and supply chain issues but are still going all-out to feed their communities this iconic family favourite.
Visit www.nationalfishandchipday.org.uk to find out more.