Westgate Fish Bar: Yorkshire chippy gains place amongst UK’s top fish and chip shops

The National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), the trade body that represents the nation’s fish and chip shops, runs the scheme as a way of raising standards within and enhancing the profile of the fish and chip industry.

The scheme is a way of rewarding and promoting shops that provide good quality products and high standards of hygiene, as well as friers who show a high level of competence and are COVID compliant.

To qualify, each shop must go through a virtual inspection by an NFFF Approved Assessor who assesses the shop’s presentation, hygiene and cleanliness, staff training, equipment, frying and sales skills and most importantly the quality of the cooked product.

Westgate Fish Bar owner Anthony Wells said: “We are delighted to gain our place in the scheme. To be recognized as one of the top fish and chip shops by the NFFF is indeed an honour and a credit to our hardworking staff, who I would like to offer my sincere thanks for the continued hard work and efforts to maintain our excellent reputation.

"I would personally like to thank all our customers, new and old. All businesses have found the coronavirus pandemic extremely difficult and the support and encouragement they have offered has been great. It has motivated us to maintain our high standards which have been recognised with this accreditation.”

This accreditation sets the new benchmark for quality within the industry. It will signal to the consumer that they can buy with confidence where the award is displayed, and it will encourage more outlets to raise their standards.

NFFF President Andrew Crook explained: "The NFFF Quality Accreditation scheme is extremely comprehensive. Food safety is a key area that we examine together with other key aspects of the business including the preparation and cooking equipment, to the management of paperwork and the traceability of fish.

"Westgate Fisheries clearly takes pride in where it sources its fish and potatoes from,” said Andrew. "Achieving the NFFF Quality Accreditation provides reassurance to customers that they are being served cooked food using high-quality ingredients.”

Bryan Carroll, Sarson’s Sales and Marketing Director explained: “Obtaining the Quality Accreditation award is a coveted achievement. Congratulations to Westgate Fisheries for joining an elite selection of fish and chip shops who have proven their commitment to maintaining the highest levels of quality.

"The Scheme is an exceptionally beneficial process, rewarding and shining a line on sites leading the way within the industry and providing their customers complete peace of mind. To see the number of sites being Quality Accredited growing is extremely rewarding and makes us incredibly proud to sponsor the Scheme.”