A WHITBY fish and chip shop has been named among the country's top five in a competition run by seafood industry body Seafish.

The Fisherman’s Wife, in Whitby, secured a place as a National Fish & Chip Awards finalist after being judged on criteria including responsible sourcing policies, menu diversification, restaurant facilities and appearance, staff training and development practices, and marketing and promotional activity.

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The Khyber Pass restaurant also received mystery shopping assessments to ascertain customer service levels and the quality of the fish and chips on offer.

A spokesman for the restaurant, which was launched in the resort six years ago, said staff had been thrilled to become finalists in the contest and were excited about attending the awards ceremony in London on January 26.

He said having loyal staff, quality produce and good suppliers had played a key role in reaching the final.

Over the coming weeks, the restaurant, which also has outlets in York and Leeds, will be subjected to additional in-depth judging audits to assess both the front and back–of-house operational aspects.

It will compete against Mister C’s in Selby, North Yorkshire, Harbour Lights in Falmouth, Cornwall, Pelican Fish & Chips in Barnstaple, Devon and Seafresh Restaurant in Victoria, London.