Presents award to Britain's best ”Fish and Chip Shop”

Every year the British eat more than 382 million servings of fish and chips, and the dish is among Britain's fast food favourites. Norway supplies the fish to around 20 per cent of the British fish and chips market. Today Kristine Gramsrud, State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, will present the grand prize at the “The National Fish and Chip Awards 2013”.

“The National Fish and Chip Awards” will be held for the 25th time this year in London. This is an event that pays tribute to the British fish and chips tradition, and bestows prizes on the best fish and chips enterprises in several different categories.

State Secretary Gramstad will present the main award, which is the prize for the best ”Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year,” for the second year running.

“It's a pleasure to have the honour of presenting this award. Norway supplies outstanding raw materials to the global market, and it's great to see that Norwegian fish is so much in demand on the British market and included in such a typically British dish as fish and chips,” Kristine Gramstad says.

Cod is the most popular fish in fish and chips, closely followed by haddock. Norway supplies more than 10,000 tons of cod to Britain every year, as well as almost 27,000 tons of haddock. In all, Norway supplies fish to around 20 per cent of the British fish and chips market.

“Norway already supplies a lot of fish for fish and chips, but with a record cod quota this year of one million tons, Norway has the potential to supply a lot more,” Gramstad says.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs and the seafood industry have teamed up on extra funds totalling NOK 15 million to strengthen the marketing of codfish in 2013, including in Britain.