A FISH and chip shop on Portland has won a place on the shortlist for the 2019 National Fish and Chip Awards.

The Chesil Chippie at Victoria Square is one of 60 shops to make it to the shortlist to become the next Fish and Chip Shop of the Year.

These will be shortlisted down further and the overall UK winner will be announced at the final ceremony in London in January 2019.

Chesil Chippie's category - Fish and Chip Shop of the Year - is one of 14 categories in the annual Seafish-organised awards which are widely recognised as the ‘Oscars’ of the fish and chip industry.

Hailing from across the country, the top 60 shops are judged on more than just the fish and chips. Sustainability, menu innovation, catering for special dietary requirements, customer service and marketing are all part of the package of what makes these shops the best in the country.

Over the coming weeks the shops will undergo a further phase of mystery diner judging inspections in order to whittle the Top 60 down to a Top 20 listing, then a Top 10 shortlist, before the final stage of judging in London in January 2019.

Marcus Coleman, Chief Executive Officer at Seafish, said: “This award category showcases the leading fish and chip takeaways across the land, the shops that we all love to buy our fish supper from. The calibre of finalists in this year’s Top 60 is extremely high and provides a true representation of the quality found within the fish and chip sector, perfectly summing up why British fish and chips are, and will always be, the best in the world. With 60 shortlisted shops to choose from, why not take a trip to your nearest contender to see how you rate it?”

Reigning champions David and Nick Miller of Millers Fish & Chips in Haxby, North Yorkshire, added: “To be crowned the Fish and Chip Shop of the Year at January’s National Fish & Chip Awards was an amazing experience. It kicked off an exceptional year for our business, which has been in the family for 77-years, allowing us to serve our traditional fish and chips with a modern and innovative approach to even more customers than ever before. Winning this award has been the pinnacle of our career and we’d encourage anyone who’s looking for a delicious portion of fish and chips to visit their locally shortlisted business.”

The winner of the Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award will be announced at The National Fish & Chip Awards’ 31st anniversary ceremony in London on January 24 2019

For more information or to view the full shortlist visit: http://www.fishisthedish.co.uk/win/national-fish-chip-awards or follow @fishisthedish #FishnChipAwards.