FISH fryers from Sussex are celebrating after two shops from the county were named in the top ten of fledgling shops in Britain.

Wolfies of Hove and Athena’s Fish and Chips in Bexhill are now up against other chippies from across the country in the race to bag the Best Newcomer Award at the 2016 National Fish and Chip Awards. in London.

To get to this stage the shops have been judged on innovation, promotion and approaches to sustainable and responsible sourcing.

Dave Keston, 57, co-owner of Wolfies of Hove, in Goldstone Villas, said: “We have been up and running for 18 months and it’s fantastic – I am really enjoying it and to be nominated is great.

“Everything we use is fresh our spuds come from Sussex and our scampi from Whitby - we’re passionate about food and we’re getting so much satisfaction from getting it right.

“We do things other shops don’t - red snapper in Caribbean batter and salt and pepper squid for example – my son Daniel (who co-owns the shop) is the creative force.

“We are big on gluten-free with families coming down from London for our fish and chips, we offer gluten-free all the time unlike other shops and we have gluten-free sausages.”

The businesses will be subject to mystery judging evaluations including an assessment of product quality and customer service levels before being whittled down to establish the UK top three.

The Best Newcomer Award is open to independent fish and chip businesses operating since 1 October 2013 and recognises high standards of the trade.

Nick Damuarkis, 35, owner of Athena’s Fish and Chips, in Western Road, Bexhill, said: “The shop has been open for five months and I am loving it, it’s a lot of pressure but we’re pushing forward.

“The original cod is king but we sell a lot of local plaice and line caught haddock which is part of the feel of Bexhill at the moment with good local and wholesome food.

“We’re delighted to be nominated for the award – it is an achievement in itself and it’s nice to be recognised for going one step forward.

“My parents had a fish and chip shop and I worked in there for ten years – but I had never owned a business, the staffing, sourcing and logistics day-to-day are tough.”

Culminating in an awards ceremony at The Lancaster London Hotel on January 20, the awards are recognised as the ‘Oscars’ of the fish frying industry celebrating the great British tradition.