The Fish & Snip Awards!

Artist cuts out and sews her very own chip shop

The National Fish & Chip Awards is making a well-deserved ‘fuzz’ over textile artist Lucy Sparrow’s showstopping Sew Your Soul installation ‘Bourdon Street Chippy’ by honouring her with a one-off ‘Most Heartfelt Chippy Opening of the Year’ accolade.

Bourdon Street Chippy, exhibiting at Lyndsey Ingram gallery in Mayfair, is this summer’s must-visit immersive experience, which has already seen thousands of visitors devouring the full-size takeaway’s 65,000 individually hand-sewn items made entirely from felt, including all the fixtures and fittings.

Lucy’s remarkable workmanship and exceptional attention to detail has resulted in a joyful celebration of the iconic British dish, earning her the ultimate seal of approval from the National Fish & Chip Awards, with the exclusive ‘Most Heartfelt Chippy Opening of the Year’ title.

Regarded as the fish and chip industry’s most prestigious prize-giving event, the National Fish & Chip Awards serves as the benchmark for industry standards and excellence. The annual ceremony is organised by the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), and its Treasurer Caroline Murphy explains that the sustainability and quality of Lucy’s craft parallels the art of cooking perfect fish and chips.

“There’s no denying how impressive Bourdon Street Chippy is! The hard work Lucy has put into creating the intricacies of shaping the felt to replicate the batter texture, the design consistencies, precision sewing and the due diligence in researching the subject matter is pure brilliance - it perfectly showcases the nostalgia and love the UK has for the dish.

“All the skill Lucy has mastered in her art is a great reflection of what’s required for a real-life fish and chip shop to be outstanding. There’s so much detail involved such as selecting the right potatoes for the season, knowing what cooking oil temperatures work best, how long to fry the fish for - the list goes on, so please do keep supporting your local chippy!”

Caroline continues: “Having fish and chips is a deeply embedded British custom and the way Lucy has captured the excitement and anticipation of walking in, placing an order and sitting down to share it with family, friends and loved ones through the medium of felt is second to none. Her recognition of the brands, industry certification standards and iconography are the touches that really make Bourdon Street Chippy a winner in our eyes. Presenting her with the ‘Most Heartfelt Chippy Opening of the Year’ is to show our appreciation of her talent, which is elevating the nation’s love for fish and chips even higher.”

On receiving the award Lucy comments: “My work seeks to transport my audience into a joyous alternative reality that is both completely familiar, yet totally unique. This award is a wonderful acknowledgement that I have achieved this with the Bourdon Street Chippy. I am grateful to the National Fish & Chip Awards for receiving my work with the same joy and enthusiasm that I brought to its creation and I will proudly display the award in the shop for the rest of the exhibition.”

Oliver Boutwood director of Isle of Ely Produce who sponsor the “Field to Frier’ Award was delighted to see the award represented in the shop. “Lucy’s work is amazing and for her to pick our award to showcase is a real honour.”he said.

Visit Bourdon Street Chippy for a fish and chip treat like no other from 11am-6pm on Wednesdays-Sundays until 14 September at the Lyndsey Ingram in Mayfair, London.

The National Fish & Chip Awards 2026 will reveal its 14 category winners in February at the industry ceremony, which takes place in London.

For more information and bits on the National Fish & Chip Awards and Lucy Sparrow, please visit: www.thefishandchipawards.com and www.sewyoursoul.co.uk.

About the National Fish & Chip Awards:

The National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) is the organiser of the National Fish and Chip Awards and 2026 marks the 38^th edition. It is open to all UK fish and chip businesses, with overseas operators welcome to enter the international category. As it’s run by the industry’s association, the expert guidance offered to entrants is of an exceptional level. In-depth scrutiny within the judging process covers every aspect of businesses – food, hygiene, sustainability (produce and operational practices), customer service, and industry knowledge. This ensures the nation receives high-quality food and an overall standout experience, while professionals in the industry have access to opportunities to further their growth. 

The awards also recognise fish and chip shops which are investing in their communities, making a difference to the environment around them and boosting the local economy. The principal sponsor for the 2026 awards is Seafood from Norway.

About Lucy Sparrow

LUCY SPARROW took the art world by storm in 2014 with the opening of her Cornershop installation in London. With queues around the block and wall-to-wall media coverage, the installation was a huge commercial and critical success. To date she has created a further 15 fully conceptualised installations globally, had a museum exhibition in Beijing, was commissioned by the late HM Queen to create The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Lunch a six-meter artwork installed in Buckingham Palace and in 2024 was the global holiday artist for Diptyque. The Bourdon Street Chippy is Lucy’s fifth major installation in London. www.sewyoursoul.co.uk