A TAVISTOCK fish and chip shop has been named as the winning fish and chip shop for Devon, Cornwall and Somerset for the Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award.

The Tavi Friar in West Street will now compete against Bishopston Fish Bar in Bristol to determine the overall winning shop for south and western England in the 2014 National Fish and Chip Awards, organised by Seafish.

The shops will be assessed by an industry judge, who will make an un-announced visit to conduct a detailed inspection, including the tasting and testing of products.

Tavi Friar owner John Murphy said: 'We are absolutely delighted to be recognised as a very good fish and chip shop. We bought it 18 months ago and completely remodelled it, refurnished it, and turned the business around.'

Mr Murphy said the shop only uses local produce — potatoes from Callington and pies and burgers from butchers in Tavistock.

'This is excellent for us and it's a real credit to all the staff to be recognised in this way. It's a great thing not just for us but good publicity for Tavistock as well. We hope to go on and win it now.'

The shop to be named the best in the south and west of England will fight for glory at the national final in January.

To reach this stage of the competition, the fish and chip shops have been judged on their initial entries by industry experts and subjected to mystery shop visits to rate their businesses on a number of criteria, including food quality and customer service.

Paul Williams, chief executive for Seafish, said: 'Seafish has been running the awards for 26 years and the calibre of entries demonstrates the battle for the national title will be as fierce as ever.

'The National Fish and Chip awards have not only improved the standards of the industry and raised awareness of the issues surrounding sustainable fishing practices, but it has also generated additional revenue for the businesses involved adding to the shop's cachet.'

In October, Seafish will announce the top shop in each of the ten UK regions.

The regional winners will then be invited on a study trip to Alesund, Norway, organised by award sponsor the Norwegian Seafood Council, to see why Norway is regarded as one of the world's most sustainable fishing nations.

The overall winner will be announced at a ceremony in London in January, hosted by Michelin-starred chef and TV personality Jean Cristophe Novelli.