An East Lancashire fish and chip shop is among the best in the UK after making it to the final of the National Fish and Chip Awards.

40 businesses, including two in Lancashire, have made it to the final stages of the Takeaway of the Year award.

A spokesperson for Westend Fish and Chips, in Oswaldtwistle, said the are proud to have reached this stage of the competition.

They said: “To get to the top 40 means is such an achievement.

“We’ve always dreamed of being an award winning shop. We work so hard to produce good quality food to the best standard.

“We are very proud as a whole team to get recognised as a top 40 finalist and very excited for the next stages with fingers crosses.

“We are very grateful to our customers new and old as without them we wouldn’t be here today.”

Westgate Fish and Chips, in Morecambe, also made the top 40.

A spokesperson said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for Takeaway of the Year for the National Fish and Chip Awards - The Oscars of our industry!

“We are so proud to be representing Morecambe in these awards and along with just one other shop to have made it to the top 40 out of the whole of Lancashire.

“Further judging will now take place as the competition continues to narrow down to the top 20 and finally the top 10.

“We can’t thank our team enough for the work they do to maintain the standards we set and this achievement is a credit to all of them.”.

This year’s nomination process saw fish and chip businesses from across the UK entering the awards, with the sole aim of scooping the coveted crown to be named Britain’s best.

The judging panel, made up of the industry’s ‘a-fish-onados’, put hopeful entrants through an extensive judging process, testing them against industry best practice on environmental issues, product knowledge and their responsibilities as an employer, and more.

While further judging rounds will be performed to see which businesses progress to the next stages, the finalists for the Fish and Chip Takeaway of the Year have now been whittled down to 40.

Andrew Crook, President at the National Federation of Fish Friers, organiser of the awards, said: “The calibre of entries for the National Fish and Chip Awards 2024 have been nothing short of fantastic and we are proud of all the eateries that clearly put in huge amounts of effort to be considered for the accolade.

“Fish and Chip Takeaway of the Year is a notoriously difficult category to stand out in, but the panel of experts had many tough decisions to make.

"However, we’ve selected an exceptional shortlist that showcases the unwavering passion, dedication and excitement that the fish and chip industry brings to British culture.”

The National Fish and Chip Awards, now in its 36th year, acknowledges and champions businesses and individuals throughout the UK who make outstanding contributions to foodservice to ensure the nation enjoys its fish and chips, receives great customer service and professionals in the industry have access to opportunities to further their growth.

The category winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on February 28 at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London.