Is Market Deeping the best town in the UK for fish and chips?
TWO fish and chip shops just yards away from each other are in the final 30 vying to be crowned the nation's best.
Market Deeping fryers Linfords and Seafare at the Boundary are both in the top 30 shortlist for the National Fish and Chip Awards, in the 'Best Independent Takeaway' category.
It's not yet wrapped up, as the top ten will not be announced until October, but the two businesses - only 500 feet away from one another - are delighted their better batter is gaining them recognition, pushing both into the top three in the East of England region.
Seafare at the Boundary was taken over by Philip Lye seven years ago.
It has recently started offering new fish such as hoki and sea bass in addition to their usual menu, and skated into the Daily Mail's list of the Top Ten UK Fish and Chip Destinations.
General manager Blair Butler said that the secret of their success was "buying consistently the best fish that we can, using local potatoes and having friendly staff. We also try to give something back to the local community.
"We don't worry about what competitors do. We just try to keep on doing what we've always done."
It's not the first time Linford's has skated into the later rounds of the competition, as it was the winner of the regional heats last year.
It has recently begun offering a 'fish of the week', besides the usual fare, to add variety to the menu and offer different preparation methods including floured and steamed fish alongside battered.
Paul Linford, who owns Linford's with his wife, Pat, claims to have "one or two secrets that have been passed down for generations."
He said: "All the little things add up. There are about ten different stages in the cooking of the fish that have to be perfect."
Once a month a gluten-free batter is available, and Mr Linford said: "That was so popular we're going to start doing it once a week."
Mr Linford thinks that the quality of the two shops has been pushed up by having a local competitor.
He said: "Each wants to be the best, but we're not mortal enemies or anything."
The shops will receive an in-depth judging visit from an industry expert from Seafish. The grand final takes place in London in January.
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Weather for Spalding
Thursday 24 May 2012
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