Siddal chippy proves it's the '˜plaice' to be

Love tucking in to a quality plate of fish and chips? Well look no further than a Siddal chippy, which has just been named as one of the best fish and chip takeaways in the country.
Award winners Adam and Alison Hird at Hirds Family Fisheries, Siddal.Award winners Adam and Alison Hird at Hirds Family Fisheries, Siddal.
Award winners Adam and Alison Hird at Hirds Family Fisheries, Siddal.

Hirds Family Fisheries, Backhold Lane, features in Fry Magazine’s prestigious 50 Best Fish and Chip Takeaways list for 2017.

It made the cut after mystery diners were sent to all the shops that entered the competition. They assessed a range of front-of-house details including staff friendliness, cleanliness of the takeaway and product knowledge.

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Points were also awarded for the quality of the food - from the crispness of the batter and texture of chips to the flakiness of the fish.

Takeaways could also pick up additional points for details including clean and tidy uniforms, the availability of a specials board and cooking to order.

The top 50 all scored 95 per cent or over in their mystery dine.

Owners Adam and Alison Hird said: “This is the second year we have won this award, the last time being 2016. We were absolutely delighted for winning both years - we put a lot of hard work into providing the best fish and chips and also a great specials board, which was commented highly by the mystery diners.

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“This year we achieved 97 per cent, which gives us a bit of room for improvement next year.”

Reece Head, competition organiser, added: “The pass mark was once again set very high at 95 per cent and to achieve that takes a lot of dedication and hard work from everyone involved, from the owner to the manager, to the frier and the counter staff. “It really is a team effort. Running a fish and chip shop gets harder every year with so much going on behind the scenes, so to serve up excellent quality food with a matching level of service and atmosphere day-in day-out deserves to be recognised.

“All the shops that made the 50 Best have proved they go the extra mile to give their customers the best possible experience, whether that’s detailing the boat that catches the day’s fish, running weekly specials, or simply taking time out to ask customers how their day has been. This is what puts these chippies ahead and keeps customers coming back time and time again.”