Seafare on Worplesdon Road is one of 40 UK takeaways longlisted for Takeaway of the Year. Only 20 reach the semi-finals, with the winner named on 24 February.
A Guildford chip shop is one of 40 takeaways in the country still in the running for Takeaway of the Year, the headline award in the fish frying trade.
Seafare, at 147 Worplesdon Road, appears on the longlist published on Tuesday by the National Fish & Chip Awards, which are run by the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF, 22 September 2026). It is one of only two shops in Surrey to make the cut. The other is The Hake in Weybridge.
The longlist is the first public stage of a competition that runs until late February. Twenty of the 40 will go through to the semi-finals. A top 10 follows, and the winner is announced at a ceremony on 24 February at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in London.
What the judges are looking at
The 40 were picked from entries across the UK by a panel of sector specialists. The awards say the next round is a full assessment of each business covering:
- product quality
- hygiene
- environmental and operational sustainability
- customer service
- industry knowledge
Entry is free, and every shop that takes part gets written feedback on what it does well and where it could improve, according to the organisers.
Hygiene is one criterion the public can already check. The Food Standards Agency register gives Seafare the top rating of 5, “very good”, from an inspection on 22 November 2024 (FSA).
Where the other 39 are
By our count of the published list, 28 of the 40 are in England, six in Scotland, four in Northern Ireland and two in Wales. Hampshire has four shops on it, more than any other county, with Lincolnshire and London on three each.
Surrey’s two entries sit alongside names including Grosvenor Fish Bar in Norwich, Skipjacks in Harrow, The Cottage in Blackpool and Knights Fish Restaurant in Glastonbury.
What the organisers say
Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers, said: “As we celebrate the 39th year of the National Fish & Chip Awards, it’s brilliant to see talent, passion, excellent professionalism and dedication to their craft on display. Every year, the Takeaway of the Year standard continues to rise and this new list of top 40 contenders exemplify that.”
He said the point of the awards is the people rather than the trophies. “It’s the people behind these businesses that make our industry what it is. We are proud to celebrate the owners, teams and young talent whose passion and hard work keep this much-loved tradition thriving. Recognition like this is about far more than trophies, it’s about acknowledging the individuals who go above and beyond for their customers and communities every single day.”
Crook added that this year the federation is pushing the career side of the trade. “This year we are particularly keen to shine a light on the opportunities our industry offers, from developing lifelong skills to fulfilling dreams of running a successful business. It’s a sector that rewards hard work and creates genuine career satisfaction for professionals from all walks of life.”
The shop that won it last time
The current holder is The Scrap Box in York, run by Gavin and Aman Dhesi. Aman Dhesi said the award is still paying off more than six months on.
“It gave the business a huge boost, as did reaching the top 10 the year before but probably the biggest thing has been the opportunities it’s opened up for us outside the shop, from media and travel to meeting people across the industry and getting involved in some really exciting projects.”
His advice to the 40 shops now in the same position he was in is to treat the process as the prize.
“Enjoy the process and make the most of it. The awards journey really makes you look closely at your own business, what you do well, what makes you different and where you can still improve. We learned a huge amount through the process before we ever won. And don’t try to second-guess what the judges want. Be proud of what makes your shop yours and tell that story.”
The wider competition
The awards are in their 39th year. Fourteen categories are open to national and international businesses this year, the organisers say, including Restaurant of the Year, Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, Field to Frier, Mobile Operator of the Year, and Environment and Sustainable Business.
Seafood from Norway is the principal sponsor. The Takeaway of the Year category itself is backed by BD Signs, Friars Pride, Henry Colbeck, McWhinney’s Sausages, Seafood from Iceland, Smales and V.A. Whitley.
What it means for you
Nothing changes at the counter. Seafare is open and trading as normal on Worplesdon Road, and the longlist is a judging stage rather than anything customers have to act on.
What it does give you is a marker. The judging round that follows checks the things that are hard to see from the queue: sourcing, waste, kitchen standards and staff training. Whether or not the shop goes further, the assessment happens over the coming weeks, and the next public milestone is the cut to 20 semi-finalists.
The top 10 is due in about two months, the organisers say, and the winner is named on 24 February.
Every inspection result in the borough is published on the FSA register, and we cover each month’s Guildford results, most recently the August inspections. Our local business directory lists what is trading across the town and the villages.
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