Harbourside Fish & Chips are high fryers

Plymouth fish and chips business Harbourside Fish & Chips is frying high after being crowned with a national industry award at the 2014 National Fish & Chip Awards, organised by Seafish.

Harbourside Fish & Chips in Plymouth, Devon, who’s Tom Hughes was also shortlisted for the ‘Drywite Young Fish Frier of the Year Award’, was crowned winner of the ‘Staff Training and Development Award’ category at the prestigious industry awards ceremony held at the Lancaster London hotel, on 22 January 2014.

Sponsored by James T. Blakeman & Co, the Staff Training and Development Award is a celebration of educational and training excellence in the industry and rewards businesses that are committed to developing their staff to the highest level. Those making the shortlist are judged on a wide range of criteria including staff interview processes, business training policies and staff appraisal procedures.

Sarah Lock, of Harbourside Fish & Chips, said: “We are delighted to win the Staff Training and Development Award this year. We have worked really hard with local training providers and Seafish to provide our staff with the best training possible and to help improve our service to customers.  To be rewarded for all that we’ve done in this area is just incredible.

“This year we have also achieved our Investors in People accreditation, which was a big aid in helping us to develop and highlight key areas for improvement. At Harbourside we believe that staff training and development are key to a successful business and we are always looking for ways we can help our employees to build their knowledge and develop skills further.”

Philip Blakeman, Managing Director of James T Blakeman & Co, commented: “We’re tremendously proud to be the sponsor for this fantastic award category and Harbourside are a real credit to the industry they represent, a very worthy winner!

“In the fish frying industry, it’s as much about the people as the product, so you simply have to pay attention to the way you train your staff. A skilled, knowledgeable, well organised team can make all the difference to a business and it’s all down to the teaching and support they receive on the job.”

Paul Williams, CEO of Seafish, said: “Staff training and development is an integral part of running a successful fish and chips business. Harbourside Fish & Chips has shown itself to be real forward thinkers in that respect.

“Harbourside are a great testament of what hard work, effort and determination can do for your business. By consistently striving to enhance their staffs knowledge and skills through training, they are vastly gaining the reputation of being one of the most committed fish and chip shops in the UK.

“Year on year, the outstanding standards set by entrants across all the award categories, continues to impress. Their unwavering commitment to the industry and the efforts made towards responsible sourcing and maintaining standards are vital in ensuring future generations can enjoy the nations’s favourite dish.”

Now in their 26th year, the National Fish & Chip Awards continue to be the most prestigious industry event for anyone involved in the sourcing, producing and selling of the UK’s most iconic dish, fish and chips.

For more information visit: www.fishandchipawards.com or follow @FishnChipAwards