FQA- Information for consumers

When a fish and chip shop displays the Seafish Friers Quality Award you can be sure it’s one of the nation’s best.

Britain’s chippies have star quality
When a fish and chip shop displays the Seafish Friers Quality Award you can be sure it’s one of the nation’s best.

The Award was originally established in 1996 and is open to all fish and chip businesses within the UK.

Previously, ther was just one level of award, but in January 2009 we re-launching the scheme with three distinct grades. The new three, four and five star awards offer an even greater incentive for shops to maintain the highest possible standards.

Find out where your nearest FQA shop is.

What makes these chippies special?
The Seafish Friers Quality Award isn’t something we hand out lightly. It’s something fish and chip shops have to work very hard for.

Our inspectors look at literally everything that contributes to a well-run fish and chip shop; so when you buy your supper from an Award holder, you can be sure of tasty fish and chips of the highest quality.

It’s no coincidence that so many finalists in our annual Fish & Chip Shop of the Year competition are also Award holders.

How does it work?
As a customer, you can taste the quality of the product, experience the customer service, and see for yourself if the shop is well designed and maintained.

But Seafish Quality Assurance Advisors also check the quality of ingredients and all the things customers don’t see - storage, hygiene and cleaning, handling and temperature control, management systems, training and skills. In fact, they examine more than 240 separate criteria.

Our inspector prepares a detailed report, and can also advise shops on improvements needed to achieve an award or progress to the next level.

If the business meets our stringent standards it will receive an Award certificate, and will be entitled to display the Seafish Friers Quality Award logo.

Awards are valid for one year and are only renewed if the shop continues to pass our quality inspections.
 
What if my local chippy doesn’t have an Award?
Award holders benefit from belonging to a prestigious, nationally-recognised quality scheme. The new three-tier system will have a high profile in the media, and customers will be looking out for the logo more than ever.

So if your favourite local chippy doesn’t have the Award, why not suggest they apply?