Frankie’s named UK’s best chippy

Frankie’s has today been named as the best fish and chip shop in the UK for 2015.

The Brae eatery, the most northerly chippy in the country, won the number one title at the annual National Fish & Chip Awards – the trade “Oscars” – in London.

“We’re thrilled to have been selected as the top shop in the UK,” said Frankie’s manager John Gold, who was presented with the award along with owner Valerie Johnson and shift manager Carlyn Kearney in front of 650 guests at an event hosted by the BBC food and drink presenter Nigel Barden at the Lancaster London Hotel.

“It’s great recognition for all the hard work our staff put in to make sure our customers get top-quality fish and chips every time they come in.

“And it’s fabulous for Shetland, where fishing has been a way of life for centuries and which has some of the finest seafood in the world.

“We were runners-up in this competition last year, so it’s great that we have managed to raise our game to convince the judges that we are worthy winners this year.

“The quality of the other fish and chip shops we were up against is phenomenal, so we’re really chuffed and we will make the best of it.”

A panel of seafood industry judges chose Frankie’s as the best independent fish and chip takeaway from among 10 winners from different regions of the country.

The regional winners had been selected in September last year. Frankie’s was named best in Scotland for the second year running. Its biggest selling product is traditional haddock and chips, but it also sells crab, mussels and scallops harvested from the cold, clear waters around Shetland.

All of this seafood sold by Frankie’s is accredited as sustainably caught or harvested by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

Frankie’s staff have this year been visiting schools in Shetland to run the Frankie’s Fish Course, a fun but educational programme aimed at primary school children, helping them to understand the importance of sustainability and learning about different types of fish.

Staff at the shop also helped to raise almost £12,000 for the Fishermen’s Mission with two major events – a charity cycle sportive and a charity seafood weekend.

Frankie’s, which employs seven full-time and 15 part-time staff, opened just over six years ago and has since won an array of awards, including best eatery in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland last year.

The National Fish & Chip Awards are organised by Seafish and the judges assess product quality, sustainable sourcing policies, marketing initiatives and customer service.