Cod from the longliner Østerfjord in Austevoll was on the menu, when the British voted Britain's best fish & chips.
The UK is one of the largest and most important markets for Norwegian seafood, and especially for white fish. Every year it is consumed more than 170 million meals of fish and chips. Norway supplies around 25 percent of the fish used. Cod is the most popular fish, followed by haddock.
During this year's award ceremony, The National Fish & Chip Awards with more than 600 guests in the hall, Norwegian cod was served from the combined purse seine and longliner Østerfjord, which has its home port at Austevoll.
- Those who make fish & chips are mostly small, family-run businesses. They are passionate about delivering the best products to their customers, and set demands for taste, consistency and sustainability. And they don't get enough cod and haddock from Norway, says Minister for Fisheries and Oceans Myrseth.
She even took part in a crash course at The Laughing Halibut on how to prepare the dish. At this restaurant, they exclusively use fish from the Norwegian trawler Granit.
Photo: Odd Kristian Dahle.
Several Norwegian shipping companies participated in this year's award ceremony and at the conference, Norway – UK Seafood Summit, organized by the Norwegian Seafood Council. In addition, there was a breakfast meeting with the Minister of Fisheries at the Norwegian ambassador's residence in London. The Minister was told how important the British market is to the Norwegian whitefish fleet.
Photo: NFD.
The UK is the largest single market for Norwegian haddock in terms of value and a significant market for Norwegian cod. In 2023, Norway delivered close to 15,000 tons of cod to the UK, and over 17,000 tons of haddock based on direct export.
This year's winners will be invited to Ålesund in June to learn more about the origin of the raw material from Norway. On this trip, they get up-to-date knowledge about Norway's strictly regulated fishing, sustainable management and Norwegian raw materials.
Background on the award ceremony
The National Fish & Chip Awards are organized by the National Federation of Fish Friers. It's an award ceremony that celebrates the British national dish and the people behind it.
On Wednesday 28 February, the award ceremony was held for the 36th time. Norway with "Seafood from Norway" is the main sponsor.
Minister for Fisheries and Oceans Cecilie Myrseth, presented two awards; the main award for the UK's best take-away and the award for sustainability and the environment, which highlights players who are leading the way in working with sustainable solutions in the industry.
Nominated players can win awards in several categories, such as Young Fish Friar of the Year or Best Mobile Operator. The winners can adorn themselves with the title of the UK's best Fish and Chips producers.