Peterborough Telegraph chippy of the year is revealed

Friendly staff and top quality ingredients - that is the recipe for success for the Peterborough Telegraph Chip Shop of the Year owner Carl Smith.
Peterborough Telegraph Chip Shop of the Year  winners Carl Smith, Trina Coles and Marcus Smith at Netherton Fisheries EMN-200701-145623009Peterborough Telegraph Chip Shop of the Year  winners Carl Smith, Trina Coles and Marcus Smith at Netherton Fisheries EMN-200701-145623009
Peterborough Telegraph Chip Shop of the Year winners Carl Smith, Trina Coles and Marcus Smith at Netherton Fisheries EMN-200701-145623009

Carl’s Netherton Fisheries in Ledbury Road came out on top after the final round of readers’ votes were counted.

And Carl, whose son Marcus runs the business on a day-to-day basis, was quick to thank his customers who voted for him.

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“This is fantastic, it is brilliant news on a Monday morning - what a way to start the week,” he said.

Peterborough Telegraph Chip Shop of the Year  second place -  Rob Cockerill, Isobel Williams and Simeon Betts at Clancy's of Eye. EMN-200701-145634009Peterborough Telegraph Chip Shop of the Year  second place -  Rob Cockerill, Isobel Williams and Simeon Betts at Clancy's of Eye. EMN-200701-145634009
Peterborough Telegraph Chip Shop of the Year second place - Rob Cockerill, Isobel Williams and Simeon Betts at Clancy's of Eye. EMN-200701-145634009

“We have won the award previously, so we haven’t really gone for it in the past couple of years.

“But I thought we should give it a go this year and we said to customers ‘come on, vote for us’ and gave them a bit of encouragement. Wow, thank you to everyone who voted.”

Carl said the family had been in the fish and chip trade for almost 50 years and it was his cousin who got him interested. He opened Netherton Fisheries in 1996 and hasn’t looked back, winning the Chip Shop of the Year award on five other occasions. “I feel a bit like Lewis Hamilton, a six-time winner,” he joked.

Carl puts his success down to getting the basics right.

Peterborough Telegraph Chip Shop of the Year third place - Murat Canli and Muhon Ahmad partners at the Royal Fish Bar, Whittlesey. EMN-200701-145645009Peterborough Telegraph Chip Shop of the Year third place - Murat Canli and Muhon Ahmad partners at the Royal Fish Bar, Whittlesey. EMN-200701-145645009
Peterborough Telegraph Chip Shop of the Year third place - Murat Canli and Muhon Ahmad partners at the Royal Fish Bar, Whittlesey. EMN-200701-145645009
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“We have a friendly staff and we use the best products available,” he said. “The potatoes are from the Fens - we support the local area - and the fish that comes in is the best there is. And of course we have a secret recipe that we use for the batter.”

Runner up was Clancy’s of Eye, something that pleased owner Robert Cockerill who only launched the business last summer.

“ I have got to be happy with that,” he said. “I have only been at the shop since July, so it isn’t bad after just six months.”

Born and bred in Eye, Robert took over what had been Weldon’s, in High Street, for generations when the owner retired.

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“I used to go there for fish and chips when I was a kid,” he said. “When I saw it was up for sale I wanted to make sure it stayed a fish and chip shop. I thought it was important for the community.”

So it was something of a career change for the former retail sales manager, who named the business Clancy’s after daughters Chloe and Nancy.

“I knew this was a nice community to live in and have found it is a nice place to work too. We have had great feedback and amazing reviews - the community has really got behind us and supported the business.”

Third place went to Royal Fish Bar in High Causeway, Whittlesey.