French's Fish and Chips in Wells-next-the-Sea wins top award

French's fish and chip shop won its latest award in the Quality Accreditation Champion category at the National Fish and Chip Awards. 

Owner Marcus French said: “We asked the staff who would like to come and they all said they’d like to, so we had a big table full of us all up there at the Park Plaza near Westminster. We had a really good day."

Marcus French (left) at the National Fish and Chip Awards 2024 (Image: Contributed)The category they won can only be entered by shops that have achieved the National Federation of Fish Fryer's quality accreditation standard, making them the “best of the best”.

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“They come and assess you on health and safety, things like allergens, food hygiene, fire safety. You have to cook fish and chips and show that your staff are following all the right regulations.

“When you put the accreditation sign in the window people know they’re going to get good fish and chips.”

The French's team with their award (Image: Contributed)The business has been going for more than 100 years and is now being run by the fourth generation, after Mr French’s daughter, Alanna, took over the reigns.

Next year the family will celebrate 100 years since the shop on Wells Quay was first opened by Mr French’s grandfather in 1925, and they plan to organise an event to celebrate the achievement. 

“It just goes to show fish and chips are enduring and still popular today.”

Alanna French (left) is the fourth generation of her family to run the Wells fish and chip shop (Image: Denise Bradley)Mr French believes their success is also down to their location. 

“Wells has got busier over the years, it’s a nice little spot and everybody comes down here. Everywhere you go, all over the country, people seem to know Wells-next-the-Sea even though it's a small place.

“Holidays at the seaside go hand in hand with fish and chips.”