A CUMBRIAN fish and chip shop is celebrating after it was named the best in the north west.

Angel Lane Chippie, in Penrith, has also been named among the top 10 in the UK in the National Fish and Chip Shop of the Year 2019.

Owner Dan Harding, who received the news while on holiday in France, said: "We are all really excited and just over the moon.

"It's topped my holiday off. I was having a good time anyway. The entire team are ecstatic.

"We were picked out against some very good shops. It's a great achievement to get to this stage."

In August, when the shop was named among the top 60 in the UK and top six in the north west, customers were queuing out the door to sample what was on offer.

Determining who makes it in to the top 10 Fish and Chip shops isn’t as simple as tasting the delicious fish and chips.

Each shop is also assessed on sustainable sourcing, menu innovation, marketing, staff training, marketing and customer service.

Dan and his team are now tasked with creating a presentation to set themselves apart from the rest in the final stage of the competition, organised by Seafish.

Dan explained they need to show what makes their shop the best in Britain. He said they will need to demonstrate for example what they do to reduce plastic waste and how they respond to changes in the industry.

Seafish chief executive Marcus Coleman said: “It’s not possible to reach this stage of the competition without displaying true quality in every aspect of running a fish and chip business, so these 10 shops should be extremely proud of what they’ve achieved so far.

"It’s that commitment to quality in all areas that make The National Fish & Chip Awards such a great experience for all involved.

“We’ve been lucky to see an incredibly high standard of entrant since we started this competition 31 years ago, and we can say with certainty that this year’s top 10 display just as much talent and passion for the industry as any winner we’ve seen to date."

Dan and his dad Dave Harding have owned the Angel Lane Chippie, in Angel Lane, Penrith, since December 2007. They have won several awards since taking on the business.

According to the deeds for the property, it became a Fish and Chip Shop in June 1928, and Dave and Dan believe it is Penrith’s longest established fish and chip shop.

The winner of the Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award will be announced in London on January 24.