Ben Shaws’® search for Britain’s Favourite Family Chippy is on!

A national search to find Britain’s Favourite Family Chippy 2012 is launching today.

Now in its third year, Britain’s Favourite Family Chippy Award celebrates all the family-run chip shops across the UK and the vital role they play within their communities.

Launched by the nostalgic soft drinks brand Ben Shaws®, the awards are also backed by several industry specialists including, Fry Monthly and the Federation of Fish Friers.

The contest, which is open to every family-run chip shop in Britain, will be held through Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/favouritefamilychippy) where applicants can enter until the 16th July 2012.
From these applications, a panel of industry judges will decide on a finalist shortlist which will be posted to the Facebook page following the July judging period.

Once the shortlist is live, it’s down to the general public to decide on the overall winner. Facebook followers will be encouraged to show their support for their much-loved local fryer and the chip shop with the most votes, when the contest closes again in September, will be named Britain’s Favourite Family Chippy 2012.

The winning chip shop, which will be announced during September 2012, will receive the coveted 2012 Favourite Family Chippy trophy, a £500 donation* to treat their loyal customers with and a night away for the family including dinner at a renowned fish restaurant.

Michael Rose, the winner of Britain’s Favourite Family Chippy 2011 and owner of the Holly Tree chip shop in Blackburn, said:

“Without doubt winning the competition has had an incredibly positive impact on our business. The Fish and Chip industry is not immune from current economic concerns, and whilst many shops are inevitably finding it tough, our success in the competition has been by far the major factor in helping us achieve significant growth year on year.
“More significantly, the marketing surrounding this award has made us much more aware of the benefits of social media for a small business such as ours. This in turn has allowed us to modernise our marketing approach and in essence re-generate our shop. Furthermore, the feel good factor at work and within the local community has been astounding. I would certainly encourage people to enter the competition this year so that they can benefit too from this unique opportunity.”

Sundeep Gill, Assistant Brand Manager at Ben Shaws®, added:
“As a company that specialises in the nostalgic tastes of Britain, we’re extremely proud to be hosting a third year of our Favourite Family Chippy Award.

“Fish and chips are a cherished part of British heritage; they’ve graced the family table for over 100 years and, to this day, the family chip shop still plays an equally important role within local communities.

“Awards such as this are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the nation’s favourite food and show our support for that local chippy we all know and love. We urge businesses and customers alike to get involved in the 2012 award and we look forward to receiving entries from some of Britain’s most treasured family –run businesses.”

*Up to £500 will be reimbursed to the winning store where the proof of sales can be provided.