A "passionate" Oswaldtwistle chippy owner has stressed the importance of attention to detail, having been named one of the region's best.
Perfect Plaice Fish & Chips, in Union Road, has been shortlisted alongside nine others for the Lancashire Telegraph's Best Chippy competition.
At the helm is Ian Kay, a former financial advisor who moved into the frying industry 16 years ago and never looked back.
He said: "It is really nice. It makes us proud to know that people are happy to say we are a good chippy.
"I am passionate about what I do.
"I have been here 16 years, and I am proud to be different, and it is the attention to detail."
Some of the small changes that the restaurant does are ensuring that vinegar goes on first, so salt sticks to the chips, as well as ensuring consistency throughout the meals.
Perfect Plaice ensures that all of the sides, such as curry, peas and gravy, are made using precise measurements every day and even goes as far as to time how long they mix the batter for, to ensure it is perfect every time.
Ian added: "The other fish and chips shops around us, we are competing for that trade.
"But I am not competing against others, what I am doing is making sure the people who do use us come back because they have enjoyed it.
"The service, the food, and if there is someone they had a bit of a joke with, so visiting the local chippy is a pleasurable experience.
"It is a treat, and it is not a cheap meal anymore.
"It is that passion and that desire to give people the freshest, best that we possibly can, so we are the chippy of their choice.
"What other chippies do around us, as long as we are doing alright and there is enough trade for us all."
Before taking over, Ian visited family members who ran a chippy in Manchester for inspiration and immediately fell in love with the craft.
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Since then, he has said that the original shop has completely changed, in everything but the name.
And his son has recently started his own fish and chip shop in Rawtenstall.
Ian added: "Five or six years ago, an opportunity arose in Rawtenstall, and my son took that over and he has made a success out of that business.
"So it is in the family now.
"It is a nice business to be in.
"You are part of the community, you meet a lot of people.
"If you don’t like people, you can't work in a fish shop.
"You've got to enjoy what you do."
Away from the fish, the shop has branched out into a range of other dishes, selling pies from Haslingden's DT Law Butcher's and a foot-long sausage.
They also offer specials like homemade fish cakes and spam fritters, and have begun selling Mrs Dowson's Ice Cream.
Like many businesses, fish and chip shops have been hit hard by the cost-of-living crisis, but Ian says by "working smarter", they can get through it.
In order to do this, Ian has changed his trading hours and aims to ensure there is no waste after service by cooking to the expected level of trade.
Ian said: "I try to work smarter.
"I come from a financial service background, so to waste that knowledge just because I fry fish and chips is foolish."
This year's shortlist features 10 chip shops from across East Lancashire, including entries from Blackburn, Accrington, and Burnley.
The winner will be decided by public vote, with customers able to cast their votes by purchasing a copy of the Lancashire Telegraph.
Each finalist will be profiled in the newspaper in the coming days, giving readers the opportunity to discover the stories and people behind the counters.
The winner of the Best Chippy title will be announced later this month.
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