THE winner of The Argus Chip Shop of the Year has been announced.

Chipwick Fish and Chip Kitchen in Brighton Road, Worthing, received more than 1,000 votes and beat 21 other chippies to receive the award.

Owners Adam and Rebecca Rance said they were thrilled to win.

Adam, 46, said: “A heartfelt thank you goes out to our fantastic team of dedicated chefs and world class front of house staff, who keep our customers coming back for more.

“We have been really fortunate, and have now won ten awards for our fish and chips over the years.

“This is all on a timeline on our website, where you can find our menus or book a table.”

The family business was set up by Adam’s parents in 1981 and the restaurant walls are full of family photos and newspaper clippings from the chip shop’s history.

It has a strong team made up of 35 members of staff, including Adam and Rebecca’s two children Bethany, 24, and Oliver, 18.

Adam has been running Chipwick for 20 years, and said it has been a huge privilege to see children who used to come for chips after swimming now bringing their own families in for a meal, or booking a bulk takeaway order for their child’s swimming party.

When asked what the secret is to their success, Adam said they do things differently.

He said: “Firstly we fry our fish in fresh, top quality rapeseed oil everyday.

“It’s the best oil for our customers’ long-term health and as the oil is tasteless, you really get to taste your fish and not everyone else’s.

“To us it’s worth the extra expense.

“We never cross contaminate our oil, we have individual pans for fish, meat products and chips.”

Adam said that having the privilege to fry in fresh oil every day means he can fry fish at much higher temperatures, which seals the batter quickly and means it is less oily.

He said: “When accompanied with twice-cooked chips, you’re on to a winner.”

As well as the usual favourites, Chipwick offers a wide selection of fish on the menu, including lemon sole and lobster.

With a licensed bar, it is not your typical fish and chip takeaway and Adam said it is not unusual for them to be full on a week night as well as Fridays and Saturdays.

“Monday nights are our gluten-free night and we also offer healthier options, including new potatoes, fresh salads and grilled fish rather than fried.”

There is also something for vegetarians, with grilled halloumi, spinach and falafel burgers and pea fritters on the menu.

Adam said they are doing their bit for the environment too, with paper bags instead of polystyrene boxes for takeaways.

He said: “Our fish is all from sustainable stock and is line-caught where possible.

“We only use the largest fillets of cod and haddock as our customers enjoy a chunkier piece of fish.

“Last but not least, we have home-made batter which is so light and crispy it will keep you coming back for more.”