The Scallop Shell fish and chip restaurant on Monmouth Place in Bath has been named as one of the UK’s 10 Best Fish & Chip Restaurants, the only one in the region to make the prestigious list.
The accolade follows an extensive search by trade publication Fry Magazine to find those restaurants serving up the finest fish suppers.
To make the 10 Best, The Scallop Shell had to impress a mystery diner who visited unannounced and marked the restaurant on over 40 aspects of their business from the quality of the food and customer service to cleanliness and value for money.
With the pass mark set high at 96 per cent, The Scallop Shell came in with an almost perfect score of 97%, with the mystery diner particularly praising the freshly cooked to order food.
“The chips were exceptional, and the batter was light and crispy and not oily at all, not even on the bottom. It’s one of the best batters I’ve had,” were just some of the comments, with the mystery diner also adding: “The fish was light and delicious and it fell apart perfectly”.
On customer service they noted, “the staff were very well presented and for not many on the floor extremely well drilled and efficient”.
Garry Rosser, owner of The Scallop Shell, said: “It’s amazing news, as I know how tough it is to get into the 10 best list.
“We’ve been lucky enough to make the list again this year, but it all comes down to consistency on the day of the visit. It’s a testament to the hard work of all the team.
“The last 12 months has been an outstanding year for growth and we really feel we’re getting stronger and stronger. With the launch of our ‘On the Road’ food truck at the end of last year and some very exciting Scallop Shell plans in the pipeline for the next few months, we’re passionate about pushing the business forwards and being the best we can be.”
Reece Head, competition organiser, added: “The eating out market is more competitive than ever and you can no longer just open your doors and expect a regular trade; the focus has to be on offering a quality product that’s consistent, accompanied by exceptional customer service in clean, inviting surroundings.
“Our 10 Best Fish & Chip Restaurants hit the mark on all these aspects day in, day out by buying the best ingredients, filtering their oil every day, sourcing the right packaging, training their staff and investing back into their premises.
“This all comes at a price, but these shops see the value it adds and it was this that makes them stand out.
“We are proud of all the winners and the efforts they go to not only to raise standards in our industry but to set new ones too. The industry is so much more professional than it ever has been because of shops like those in our 10 Best who go the extra mile.”