Rugeley chippy rated among the best in the country

The Jolly Fryer at Fernwood Shopping Parade in Rugeley has made it onto the list of Fry Magazine’s 50 Best Fish & Chip Takeaways 2017. It made the list for its quality of food as well as its customer service.

The takeaway is the only one across the whole of Staffordshire to make the list. Andrew Partou, the owner of the Jolly Fryer, said he was 'delighted' to be ranked in the top 50.

He said: “There are over 10,000 Fish & Chip Takeaways throughout the UK. We are delighted to not only make the top 50 but proud to be the only Fish & Chip Takeaway in the whole of Staffordshire to make the list. This is testament to our family business which has been running for over 30 years and recognition of the good quality products and great customer service we pride ourselves on."

To grade those shops that entered the competition, an independent company sent mystery diners along to asses a range of front-of-house aspects including staff friendliness, cleanliness of the takeaway and product knowledge. Points were also awarded for the quality of the food with everything being critiqued from the crispness of the batter, to the texture of chips and the flakiness of the fish.

With takeaways picking up additional points for details such as clean and tidy uniforms, the availability of a specials board, and cooking to order, all the shops in the top 50 scored at least 95 per cent.

Reece Head, Fry Magazine's competition organiser, said: “We would like to congratulate all those shops that made our Top 50 Fish & Chip Takeaways 2017. The pass mark was once again set very high at 95% and to achieve that takes a lot of dedication and hard work from everyone involved, from the owner to the manager, to the fryer and the counter staff. It really is a team effort.

“Running a fish and chip shop gets harder every year with so much going on behind the scenes, so to serve up excellent quality food with a matching level of service and atmosphere day-in day-out deserves to be recognised. All the shops that made the 50 Best have proved they go the extra mile to give their customers the best possible experience, this is what puts these chippies ahead and keeps customers coming back time and time again.”