A fish and chip shop has won top plaice out of the country's newcomers.

Lewis's Fish & Grill in Loose Road, Maidstone, won Best Newcomer Award at the National Fish & Chip Awards 2020.

Brothers Gavin and Owen Lewis took over from Big Ben's Fish and Grill in March 2019.

At the time Gavin said: "Gavin said: "Big Ben's has always had a good reputation in Maidstone, but we hope to make it even better.

"The main change is about sustainability - all the fish are sustainably-caught which is a lot more labour-intensive, but really important in terms of preparing for the future.

"We're also really trying our best to go plastic-free, which is a work in progress because the industry has been so typically reliant on polystyrene, but we're keen to use recycled material wherever we can.

"We also love to use some of Kent's finest produce, such as Korker sausages and home-baked Kentish Mayde pies, while our burgers are fresh and made by a local butcher in Maidstone."

The National Fish & Chip Awards were held at Royal Lancaster London today.

The Best Newcomer Award category recognises business owners and operators with less than one year’s experience in the industry, providing an opportunity for new businesses to get valuable feedback which can help them to achieve successful business growth and development.

Marcus Coleman, chief executive at Seafish, said: “Congratulations to the team at Lewis’s Fish & Grill on being named the best new fish and chip shop in the UK.

"The future of the fish and chip trade is reliant on new entrants that demonstrate passion and enthusiasm for the industry.

"Sustainability and responsible sourcing of ingredients also plays a huge part in the future of fish and chips and Lewis’s Fish & Grill has demonstrated excellence in all areas.

"We have no doubt the business will continue to thrive and we wish them the very best of luck for the future."

Andrew Marriott, UK brand and marketing manager for award sponsor Frymax, said: "The future of our industry relies on top-quality, highly-motivated fish and chip businesses, like Lewis’s Fish and Grill.

"We’re always looking for unique approaches to fish and chips, so it’s really rewarding to be a sponsor of this award category which celebrates the new, talented businesses that are passionately driven and producing great tasting fish and chips for their customers."

• Reporter Katherine Heslop samples the award-winning fish and chips.

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