Harbour Lights in Falmouth has been named as one of the UK’s top five fish and chip restaurants by the 2017 National Fish and Chip Awards.

The restaurant will now have to batter it out against the four other contenders chosen by Seafish as they vie for the Independent Fish and Chip Restaurant of the Year Award to claim the title as best in the UK.

The restaurants have been appraised by industry experts across a wide variety of judging criteria including responsible sourcing policies, menu diversification, restaurant facilities and appearance, staff training and development practices, and marketing and promotional activity.

They have also received mystery shopping assessments to ascertain customer service levels and the quality of the fish and chips on offer.

They will now be judged on both front and back-of-house operations ahead of the final award announcement in London on January 26.

Marcus Coleman, chief executive at Seafish, said: “With the popularity of fish and chip dining establishments on the increase, the restaurant dining experience has now come up to par with the traditional fish and chip takeaway.

“Many consumers are now looking to dine out when eating their fish and chips, reinforcing the importance of this award category – we must recognise and reward our country’s best fish and chip restaurants for providing a stellar customer dining experience.

“The high level of standards and professionalism embedded within our finalists this year is outstanding. They are worthy ambassadors for our industry and are a prime example of why the UK is the home of the world’s best fish and chips.”

Award sponsor Alan Pearce, field sales manager at Goldensheaf, added: “This award category rewards those that provide an outstanding fish and chip dining experience for their customers, while continually striving to improve their standards and diversify their offering. The top five restaurants are worthy contenders, each bringing a unique offering to the industry. We wish them all the best in the final stage of judging and look forward to seeing who comes out on top.”