Chatteris chippy batters the rest
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| The Petrou brothers celebrate their win with Ainsley Harriott |
PETROU Brothers from Chatteris- who also have a shop in Leverington- have been revealed as the UK's best chippy at the National Fish & Chip Shop of the Year competition at a London ceremony today (Wednesday 24 January).
Mark and Pete, owners of Petrou Brothers, were presented with the award by celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott, at the grand final of the competition organised by industry body Seafish.
And Mark Petrou could be in for a double celebration as his wife, Claire, is due to have a baby any day now.
The brothers beat nine other UK finalists to win the competition, now in its 19th year. Like previous champions they can now expect overnight fame and a tremendous boost to business as their shop becomes a magnet for fish and chip lovers from all over the world.
Following three strict rounds of judging, Mark and Pete presented to a panel of 16 industry judges, including Heinz Head Development Chef, Gary Barnshaw, and renowned food writer Tom Parker BowleseiH. After hours of deliberation, the judges chose the brothers as winners, due to their passion and enthusiasm as well as their first class produce, sustainable practices and innovative ideas for the future.
Mark and Pete took over the 25 year-old business from their parentsaround 15 years ago. The take-away on West Park Street, Chatteris, sold its one millionth portion of fish and chips in 2006.
The shop works hard to encourage customers to try new types of fish, serving alternatives such as hake, pollack, hoki and coley.
Mark and Pete were delighted to walk away with the coveted title of the nation's top chippy. Mark said: "We are really proud to be awarded the title of best in the UK. It means so much because we know how good all the other finalists are. It makes all the hard work worthwhile and we'd like to thank our staff and our loyal customers for all their support. We can't wait to get back to Chatteris to show off the trophy."
Ainsley Harriott said: "Mark and Pete are great ambassadors for the industry and they are truly worthy of this accolade.
"There's just something unbeatable about the combination of really great fish and chips. It's fantastic to see the very best of the best here and a wonderful celebration of great British food - a tasty treat that's wholesome and nutritious and still great value for money."
Coming a close second was Anstruther Fish Bar & Restaurant in Fife and taking third place was Henley's of Wivenhoe in Colchester.
Fish and chips is the nation's favourite take-away with 255 million meals sold every year. Andy Gray, Project Manager and judge for the competition said: "The best shops pride themselves on the quality of their fish and chips and offer the highest standards of customer service, hygiene and innovation. All our finalists deserve recognition for moving the industry forward and many now sell different types of fish to offer customers more choice."
The competition is sponsored by Heinz SqueezMe!, the Frozen at Sea Fillets Association (FASFA) and Seafood Scotland. A spokesperson for Heinz said: "We are keen to support excellence in the industry by encouraging small businesses to innovate through quality, so we are delighted to be a part of this competition. Heinz SqueezMe! would like to extend its sincere congratulations to Mark and Pete - they are shining examples for the industry.
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