Mark Petrou, owner of Petrou Brothers which employs 13 staff, has been in the fish and chip business for 18 years, although the family has been in it for over 40 years.

"It is an exciting honour to be nominated as the face and voice of Great British Fish & Chips. It recognises all the commitment and passion that we have invested to serve our customers up the best of British fare.

"Our fish and chip shop is at the centre of the community , so on the day of the final, 6,500 people will be holding their breaths and crossing their fingers!"

As well as serving the locals of Chatteris, Mark also regularly serves former British boxing champion, Dave ‘boy’ Green and even David Jason has popped by.

His favourites with customers are cod, served with mushy peas and chips, of course.

"When I was growing up, all my friends wanted to be train drivers or policemen. Not me, I always wanted to be a good frier — just like my dad."

Address: London Road, Guildford, Surrey

Despite the fire brigade having to rescue one of his friers from the roof, Phillip Lye’s Seafare is a ship shape operation! Employing 16 staff, Phillip has been in the business of fish and chips for 29 years.

Phillip who describes his fish and chips as ‘simply the best’ regularly serves bubbly actress Bonnie Langford as well as the glamorous Honour Blackman.

"I am utterly delighted to be nominated for the award. I attribute it to the fact that we haven’t lost sight of traditional values in the new millennium of enthusiastic staff, consistent quality and value."

Cod is the most popular fish amongst Phillip’s customers, accompanied by mushy peas.

Les Manning’s 120-seater, split-level restaurant is regularly frequented by a large number of celebrities; ex-Coronation Street star Reg Holdsworth and Gladiators star, Warrior.

Employing 15 staff, Les’s family has been in the fish and chip business for three generations. He describes the restaurant which is at the centre of the community as ‘clean, fast and efficient’.

"Our two other shops have been in the 1996 and 1998 final before but it is my goal to bring the Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award home to the North."

"Most people seem to want to stick to cod and chips and mushy peas are as popular as ever!"

When Mr and Mrs Tim Bond opened Capels 2_ years ago, they had a ready supply of newspapers as they had just converted the shop from a newsagent!

The Bonds have been in the fish frying business for 19 years and their shop employs eight staff.

"The Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award is the fish friers equivalent of The Oscars. We are so proud to be a part of it with our fab, fast food as it reflects the commitment of our staff," said Tim Bond.

"Cod is still our most popular selling fish, although we do also offer ‘Catch of the Day’ variations which include red snapper and lemon sole. But everyone still seems to want curry sauce or mushy peas to go with them!"

Despite only being open for four years, this is the second year that Croesy Fish Bar has been nominated as a regional finalist in the Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award.

Owner Brian Stubbs, who regards his fish and chips as ‘simply the best’ attributes this success to ‘excellent staff, high standards and the best quality raw materials that enable him to produce top quality fish and chips."

Brian’s customers, whom he describes as ‘great characters’, prefer cod with chips and mushy peas as the favourite accompaniment.

George’s Tradition seems to be a fish and chip Mecca to the stars! Owned by Andrew Constantinou, not only has it been visited by Coronation Street’s Tracey Shaw, ex-Blue Peter presenter Simon Groom and most of the Peak Practice cast but it has also been used in a BBC drama featuring Morse’s Kevin Whatley. Cod is most popular

Andrew who has owned the shop for six months but who has been a frier for 10 years, employs 26 staff.

"Our shop plays an active role in the community. If three words described it, they would be quality, value and image. We are thrilled to be nominated for THE award of the year."

Andrew’s customers’ favourite fish is cod, and mushy peas are the favourite accompaniment.

Anstruther Fish Bar, which employs a staff of 35, already has a place in the ‘Gourmet Guide to Fish and Chips’ and came a close third place in the Scottish regional finals in 1998. It seems that Ian Whyte’s goal of striving for perfection is paying off.

"We are over the moon at being nominated, especially after 20 years in the industry. We’ve now just got to reel in that trophy!"

Ian’s regular customers include Robert Duval, Scottish footballer Ally McCoist and the cast of Scottish soap, Take The High Road, who enjoy fish and chips that Ian describes as ‘simply the best’!

Unlike England where cod and mushy peas reign supreme, haddock and tartare sauce are particularly popular at Ian’s fish and chip shop.

Paul Kelly who owns Bishop’s has spent 10 years in the fish frying business and now has a staff of over 70 who ensure that the shop remains ‘welcoming, clean and busy’.

Perhaps it is the marble tables, open fire and terrazzo floors that attract a whole host of celebrities including Gregor Fisher (Rab C Nesbit), funky pop group Ash or Stephen Ray (the Crying Game). Or it is more likely to be the excellent fish and chips.

Bishop’s was regional Northern Ireland winner in 1999 but got pipped at the post in the national final.

"To reach this position two years in a row means that we must be doing something right, especially as we are competing against the industry’s best. Fingers crossed."

Paul’s customers’ favourite fish is cod and they also love mushy peas, usually served up with a good cuppa!

• Last year, our 8,600 fish and chip friers served up 49,200 tonnes of fish

• In 1999 over 181 million meals were sold in fish and chip shops throughout the UK, proving that this great British fare is still the nation’s favourite hot take-away.

• The record for the most popular portions of fish and chips sold by an independent fish and chip shop in one day is over 4,000!

• And to show that fish and chips are loved by the entire nation, over 70% of the UK population eats fish and chips more than once every six months, half of us eat it once a month and 14% of all adults enjoy fish and chips once or twice a week.

• If all the fish and chip suppers we ate last year were lined up end to end they would stretch for 45,000 miles which is the equivalent of travelling around the world not once, but very nearly twice!

• Throughout the UK there are 8,600 fish and chip shops —that’s 10 more than for every McDonald’s outlet.

• Tourists from across the Atlantic could soon be arriving in Yorkshire in search for the UK’s favourite dish! Tour operators from the United States have been visiting Yorkshire recently to sample the fish and chips with a view to bringing across holiday groups.

• According to a recent survey the most expensive plate of fish and chips in the UK is served up at The Savoy Hotel in London — don’t expect much change from £23!

• The nation’s favourite fish is cod, followed by haddock. There are, of course, regional variations, for example: whiting is more popular in Northern Ireland and some parts of Scotland.

• Almost 20% of protein eaten outside the home is fish.

• Sharron Davies

• Melinda Messenger

• Carol Vorderman

• Carol Harrison (formerly Louise in Eastenders)

• Warren Mitchell, alias Alf Garnett, endorsing his grandmother’s advice

• Jodie Kidd

White wine is to fish what Posh is to Becks! Made for each other, you might say.

To choose the perfect white wine, though, you need to consider not just the fish itself, but the batter, the chips — and even the additional flavourings such as salt and vinegar.

One approach is to choose a fresh, zingy light white wine such as a Sauvignon Blanc to act like a squeeze of lemon with the food.

Or you can go for a soft, round, spicy type like Torrontes to add a dimension of its own.

Rosé, a little fuller bodied than many whites and satisfyingly rounded, goes beautifully, as does sparkling wine, the most luxurious option. I wouldn’t serve a red wine, though, as first choice; the tannin in the wine can give a hard taste in the mouth when partnering delicate fish.

Recommendations:

• Chenin Blanc from South Africa
• First release 2000 Chenin Blanc Early Harvest, £3.79, Safeway
• Third Millennium Chenin/Chardonnay ’99, £3.99, Tesco
• Sauvignon Blanc from Hungary/South Africa
• Riverview Sauvignon Blanc ’99 Sopron Region (Hungary), £3.99 Safeway
• Gioya Kgeisje 2000, £3.99, Sainsbury

• Miranda White Pointer ’99, £4.49, Tesco

• Vin de Pays de Cotes de Gascogne
• Domaine de Planterieu ’99, £3.99, Waitrose
• Domaine Mage ‘98/9 Grassa, £3.99, Wine Cellar
• Torrontes from Argentina
• Rio de Plata Torrontes, £3.99, Co-op
• Norton Torrentos ’99, £3.49, Thresher, Bottoms Up, Victoria Wine

• Fruity but dry Rosé
• Hardy’s Grenache Shiraz Rosé ’98, £4.99, Somerfield
• Balbi Vineyards Syrah Rosé, £4.49, Wine Celler

• Champagne and sparkling Wine
• Whatever your budget allows!
• If you’re looking for an inexpensive suggestion, look out for Cava from Spain

A very traditional partner for fish and chips, tea is both refreshing and quite powerfully flavoured. Your favourite ‘everyday’ tea may well be the first choice, but to add a little variety, a little scented tea such as jasmine or darjeeling or even the new Lady Grey could be a refreshing foil.

• Meaty, full bodied tea
• Example: Assam
• Light, delicate and refreshing
• Example: Jasmine
• Lemony
• Darjeeling with lemon
• Lady Grey Tea

The world is your treasure trove here — my choice would be something not too sweet, and with a fragrant personality in its own right.

• Elderflower cordial and sparkling water
• Appletize
• Ginger Beer
• Cola

You can go for malty, light and dashing, highly flavoured, big and smooth — they all go wonderfully, but my number one choice would be… wheat beer — a marriage made in heaven.

• Pale Ale
• Stout
• Irish (dry)
• Newcastle Brown Ale (sweeter)
• Wheat Beer
• Lager

Jilly Goolden is presenting this year’s Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Awards.

She is one of British television’s best-known faces, identified as ‘the face of BBC2’ recently in the Observer newspaper. She presented television’s top rated food and drink series, Food & Drink, since it began in the early ‘80s, becoming the most widely known wine expert in the country.

Although well known as a wine expert, Jilly has also presented two highly successful television series on antiques, notably The Great Antiques Hunt for BBC1 and Going, Going Gone, for BBC2. She has also appeared on innumerable television programmes across all channels, as a wine expert and a personality.

Jilly Goolden started out her career as a journalist, contributing to most national daily and weekly newspapers, and glossy magazines published in Britain. As well as writing about wine, she has written about travel, women’s issues, sex and marriage, the occult and a wide range of general features. She has written and contributed to books on wine and food as well as one on palmistry, many featuring in The Sunday Times best-seller list.

As far back as 1838 Charles Dickens writes about fried fish warehouses in the classic novel ‘Oliver Twist’. These warehouses acted as the forerunner to fish and chip shops — but the partner to the fish wasn’t the traditional chip as we see today, but either bread or baked potatoes. The fish was sold by street vendors who carried the goods in trays hung around their necks. The fish was purchased cold for about a penny a portion.

The first fish and chip shop is thought to have been opened in Mossley, near Oldham, in 1863, although there are claims for one that opened in London in 1860.

Fish and chips was the only take-away food not to be rationed during the second World War. Frederick Lord Woolton, Minister of Food at the time, even allowed mobile frying vans to carry fish and chips to evacuees around the country!

Originally, most fish and chips were fried in beef dripping — nowadays a variety of oils are used to satisfy the needs of a discerning public.

In the early part of the 20^th century, the average wage was such that a portion of fish and chips with mushy peas at 6d was affordable for the working class — this would add vital protein and vitamins to the usual diet of bread, dripping, tea and condensed milk.