This fish and chip shop has been named Northern Ireland's best

The finalists of the UK wide National Fish and Chip Awards have been announced, and include the Dolphin Takeaway in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, alongside nine others drawn from England, Scotland and Wales.

Organised by Seafish, a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the awards celebrate “true excellence in the fish and chip industry”.

A spokesperson for Seafish said: “Determining who makes it in to the top 10 Fish and Chip shops isn’t as simple as tasting the delicious fish and chips. Each shop is also assessed on sustainable sourcing, menu innovation, marketing, staff training, marketing and customer service.”

Northern Ireland has only one fish and chip shop in the top 10 this year, while England has seven, Wales one and Scotland one.

The best in the whole UK will be named at an awards ceremony in London on January 24.

Marcus Coleman, Chief Executive Officer at Seafish, said: “It’s not possible to reach this stage of the competition without displaying true quality in every aspect of running a fish and chip business, so Dolphin Takeaway should be extremely proud of what they’ve achieved so far. It’s that commitment to quality in all areas that make The National Fish and Chip Awards such a great experience for all involved.”

He continued: “We’ve been lucky to see an incredibly high standard of entrant since we started this competition 31 years ago, and we can say with certainty that this year’s top 10 display just as much talent and passion for the industry as any winner we’ve seen to date. Best of luck to everyone in the final.”