Whitley Bay and Hartlepool fish and chip restaurants in UK's top ten

The Fisherman’s Bay restaurant in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside and Mary Lambert chippy in Hartlepool scooped the coveted titles this week.

Fifty takeaway chippies and ten restaurants across the country were picked out by judges following mystery visits to venues across the country.

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Judges secretly scrutinise a host of aspects including the quality of the food, the cleanliness of the premises, staff knowledge, value for money, ease of ordering and social media presence with a top score of 100% available if they score top marks in every section. To scoop a gong takeaways must achieve at least 95% or 92% for restaurants.

Judges' comments included “the service was excellent”, “the food was perfectly packaged”, “the portions were good value” and “staff were clean, tidy and presentable. They wore name badges and hair nets. Most importantly they all wore a big smile.”

Last year Fisherman’s Bay was also named as a finalist in the Top 20 takeaways of the year at the National Fish and Chip Awards.  

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The Fisherman’s Bay first opened in 2019 and has since been up for a host of awards, including being named one as one of the ten best Fish and Chip Restaurants in the UK in Fry Magazine’s 2022 awards, where it was also the only North East venue to pick up an award.

Fisherman's Bay in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside (Image: DANIEL HORDON)

It also received the prize for Best British Restaurant in the 2022 International Dining Awards, being named among top restaurants from across the world.

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Speaking on after the competition award organiser Reece Head said: “Once again we’ve had another year where it’s simply got harder to operate a fish and chip business, with rising energy, labour and ingredient costs taking a heavy toll.

“It’s not easy but operators are working harder and smarter, staying ahead of changing tastes and behaviours and adapting accordingly.

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“Although the profits might not be in fish and chips like they have in years gone by, the passion certainly is. And our awards are a testament to the hard work, dedication and commitment these operators put into running successful businesses.

“We’re seeing shops introduce vegan and gluten free options to appeal to a wider customer base, instal self-serve kiosks and develop online ordering apps to make serving easier, invest in new frying equipment to produce better quality fish and chips, and embrace social media to engage with and reach more customers.

“The businesses that make up our 50 Best Fish & Chip Takeaways and 10 Best Fish & Chip Restaurants represent the best in the industry. They are pushing forwards while not losing sight of what makes the chippy so engrained in British culture - high quality, value for money food with great customer service and inviting surroundings.”