Chippy finalists on Norway study trip

Hodgson’s Chippy and seven other fish and chip businesses, all in the running to be crowned the Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year as part of The National Fish & Chip Awards, visited the port city of Ålesund on the Norwegian west coast to discover the facts surrounding the largest sustainable cod stock in the world.

Organised by the Norwegian Seafood Council, the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ trip was exclusively for award finalists and gave them the opportunity to learn about the vital supply chain of Frozen At Sea (FAS) whitefish from Norway to the UK.

Stepping aboard the working FAS vessel ‘MS Leinebris’ to uncover the science behind the country’s sustainable fisheries management of cod – one of the most popular fish species used by British chippies – they witnessed first-hand the entire fishing process; from catch to processing and filleting.

Visiting Klippfisk Akademiet (The Klippfish Academy), they also had the chance to exchange knowledge with a selection of top Norwegian chefs, sharing the background and history of the Great British tradition of fish and chips, while learning traditional Nordic cod recipes including ‘Lutefisk’ and ‘Bacalao’.

Jack-Robert Møller, UK director of the Norwegian Seafood Council, said: “Fish & chips continue to be one of the nation’s favourite dishes, with some 382million portions consumed every year and at a total cost of £1.2billion.

“This fascination has helped the UK become the world’s biggest market for both cod and haddock – but only about 10% of the cod we eat is actually caught from UK waters.”