CORNWALL is well known for its beautiful coastal landscapes and beaches which rival some of the world’s prettiest tropical locations. In Britain, fish and chips is synonymous with the seaside, however, despite its iconic coasts, only a single Cornish fish and chip shop has been shortlisted in 2024’s National Fish and Chip Awards.

Kellaway’s Fish and Chips, in Truro is the sole representative for the county, while other areas such as Yorkshire and Aberdeenshire have seen more than five shops make the cut.

Each year, the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) come together to find the best of the best in the fish frying world. The awards provide an opportunity for fish and chip outlets across the UK to show the industry exactly what they are made of. However, the process isn’t easy and includes a meticulous set of tasks, challenges and interviews covering industry awareness, product knowledge, environmental and sustainability best practice, employer responsibilities, customer service, and more.

A panel of fish and chip experts have had the tough task of assessing the impressive takeaways that entered and while those shortlisted have already been making waves in the competition, the awards process will stretch them in many ways to ensure that these standout businesses set a new precedence for quality and industry standards.

However, despite the Duchy being renowned for its fish and chips, only a single shop - Kellaway’s Fish and Chips - has made it into this year’s shortlist.

Despite Cornwall’s surprising performance, president of the NFFF, Andrew Crook, said: “Fish and chips is such an iconic British staple and it takes huge amounts of skill and hard work to not only perfect the dish and other menu offerings but to also overcome challenges and sustain the business while keeping employees motivated and fulfilled. There’s a lot to it and each awards season we see greater depths of talent, expertise and business acumen and this trend has continued this year, too.

“Takeaway of the Year is the big one, so it goes without saying that the journey it takes contenders on is very intense. At each stage learnings and recommendations are provided to encourage the hopefuls to keep pushing forward and that’s why the National Fish & Chip Awards is seen as the competition for chip shop owners that want the additional steer to become better than they were before. We’re off to a brilliant start and we’re excited for the next rounds and to honour these deserving people.”

While many would have expected to see Cornwall dominate the competition, residents will be cheering on Kellaway’s, hoping it brings it home for the Duchy.

What fish and chip shop do you think deserves to be included in next year’s competition?