Lindley Fish Bar is the tops – and that’s official!

The popular takeaway on West Street, Lindley, is now firmly located among the UK’s top fish and chip shops after scooping the prestigious National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) Fish and Chip Quality Award.

The federation is the trade body that represents the nation’s fish and chip shops and runs the scheme as a way of raising standards within the trade and improving the industry’s profile.

The scheme is a way of rewarding and promoting shops that provide good quality products and high standards of hygiene, as well as friers who show a high level of competence.

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To qualify, each shop has to go through an inspection by an NFFF Approved Assessor who assesses the shop’s presentation, hygiene and cleanliness, staff training, equipment, frying and sales skills and most importantly the quality of the cooked product.

Lindley Fish Bar owner, Tony Wells, 59, a former national sales manager, who bought his first fish and chip shop in Westgate, Elland, eight-and-a-half-years ago, said: “We are delighted to achieve this prestigious award.

“To be recognised as one of the top fish and chip takeaways by the NFFF is indeed an honour and a credit to our hardworking staff who I would like to offer my sincere thanks for their continued hard work and efforts to maintain our excellent reputation.

“The award doesn’t just represent the fish and chips we produce, but also the hard work and high quality produce our local suppliers provide us to work with.”

And as to the all-important question what makes for delicious fish and chips he replied: “It’s good solid hard work. We start every day at 3.30am. There’s a lot of preparation.

“We carry out range filtering every single day and buy the finest products we can lay our hands on including the finest beef dripping and the best potatoes and haddock. We make sure our staff are well trained and have bags of enthusiasm.

“When I first saw this shop it was all boarded up but even then I could see its potential and it had previously had a very good reputation. We’ve increased the size of the old store and modernised it.”

Award for Lindley Fish Bar from the National Federation of Fish Friers. Battered and fried to perfection, Tony Wells takes a Haddock for serving.

NFFF President Andrew Crook said: “Lindley Fish Bar clearly takes pride in where it sources its fish and potatoes. Achieving the NFFF Fish & Chip Quality Award provides reassurance to customers that they are being served cooked food using high-quality ingredients.”

Sister shop Westgate Fish Bar is also holds an NFFF Quality Award.