The Potato Heads!

Best chippies for chips named in national awards’ Field to Frier category

The National Fish & Chip Awards has selected a fresh batch of five fish and chip businesses for its Field to Frier category, which honours the best in the industry for chip cookery.

The ability to transform the humble potato into standout chips is no mean feat. The inseparable sidekick to cod, haddock, scampi, fish cakes or battered sausage, is a craft which requires mastery of potato selection and finely tuned approaches to preparation and frying.

The National Fish & Chip Awards is the home of the most coveted fish and chip industry accolades. Seasoned professionals lead the multi-stage assessments and for the Field to Frier category, eyes are on every aspect of the shortlisted chippies’ understanding of soil type, potato seasonality, best oils to cook with, optimal temperatures and frying time for texture and taste perfection. Hopefuls will also be critiqued on their business operations, sustainability values, customer service and more, to ensure the highest standards are being met.

The 2026 line-up of new, potato champion contenders poised to receive the baton from the current winner Redcloak Fish Bar in Stonehaven, Scotland are:

Lincolnshire

Linfords Traditional Fish and Chips, Market Deeping

Tyne and Wear

Trenchers Spanish City, Whitley Bay

Scotland

Aberdeenshire

Garioch Fish Bar, Inverurie

Lows Traditional Fish & Chips (Berryden), Aberdeen

Ayrshire

The Fish Works, Largs

Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), which oversees all aspects of the awards, says of the top five: “We are incredibly proud to present these fantastic fish and chip shops which are at the top of their game. Frying is a real art and knowing absolutely everything about the product is the key to serving delicious chips consistently all year through.

“There’s nowhere to hide when it comes to chips, they’re either excellent or they’re not! The judges are going to have tough job cutting the list down as the entrants are operating at outstanding levels. All the best to our competitors!”

Leading potato supplier Isle of Ely Produce, which has a four-decade long heritage and delivers more than two million bags of potatoes to the fish and chip sector alone, is sponsor of Field to Frier, along with Agrico which produces the Babylon potato, an emerging variety that has been trialled at fish and chip shops across the UK with great success over the last few years. 

Oliver Boutwood, director at Isle of Ely Produce, comments: “We are thrilled to educate fish and chip shops across the UK on how to choose, store, fry and finally serve the perfect chip. Our Field to Frier top five have all proved their knowledge thus far and we wish them luck in the next round”. 

Alex Moore, MD of Agrico UK, says: “Many of these finalists have tried Babylon and educated their customers on what breeds are best for them to use at the right time. We are proud to be part of this process.” 

Jamie Russo, owner of Redcloak Fish Bar, which won Field to Frier 2025, reflects on the past 12 months: “Winning the Field to Frier award was a huge achievement for me and the team as we always pride ourselves on sourcing the best quality potatoes. It has been great to see our customers showing a huge interest in where our potatoes come from and the process from field to frier following our success in the awards. Huge congratulations to everyone who has been shortlisted this year, and good luck for the next round!”

The five will be interviewed for the next stage, with the three that smash it being announced as finalists next month. The winner will be revealed at the awards ceremony on 25 February at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London.

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

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 Isle of Ely Produce:

Isle of Ely Produce supplies over 2 million bags of potatoes into the UK's fish and chip shops a year! That's around 70 million portions of chips. It has strong links to hundreds of growers and has educated thousands of chip shops on potato choice, storage and much more via its Field to Frier platform and open day. It has seen strong growth recently in the export of potatoes to Europe and further afield. www.isleofely.co.uk

About Agrico UK – Babylon:

Agrico UK offers new and innovative varieties of potatoes of proven quality, developed to meet both the present and future demands of the UK market. Babylon is one of the latest varieties winning praise from many of the UK's best fish and chip shops. Babylon is proud to be the joint sponsor of the Field to Frier Award. www.agrico.co.uk