Leigh's Pennington Plaice named among the Fry's 50 top chippies in UK

For the past 11 years, mystery judges from Fry Magazine have gone up and down the country to secretly scrutinise chippies so that hungry customers know just where to go for their chippy tea.

Once an establishment has applied to be inspected, anonymous customers will visit the Fish & Chip Shop on two occasions and rank the quality of food, cleanliness of the premises, staff knowledge, value for money, ease of ordering, and social media presence.

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The classic fish and chips on offer at Pennington Plaice (Image: Pennington Plaice)

With the pass mark set at a high 95% across all categories, Pennington Plaice, on Leigh Road, was given a 96% score and made it onto Fry Magazine's list of the 50 Best Fish & Chip Takeaways across the UK.

It is the only chippy across Leigh to make it onto the list and the team will also receive an award to recognise their efforts.

The Fish at Goose Green in Wigan, Sykes Fish and Chips in Swinton, and Chips @ No.8 in Prestwich were the other three recognised chip shops across Greater Manchester.

The team were also commended for being friendly and welcoming (Image: Pennington Plaice)

At Pennington Plaice, the mystery inspector said: "The batter was golden and crisp, not greasy at all [...] the chips were hot and golden, fluffy inside and crispy outside, just perfect.

"The staff were all busy but still gave a very welcoming ambiance when I entered [...] they were friendly and helpful.”

Summing up the experience, the chip judge added: "I would recommend Pennington Plaice to friends and others without question."

Fish and Chips with peas and gravy (Image: Pennington Plaice)

After being named as Choice Chip's best chip shop in the North West in 2014 and 2015, this is the first time that Pennington Plaice has entered and been recognised in Fry Magazine's Top 50 list.

Owner Martin Gee said: “I am so proud of our team and their commitment to giving great service and great food quality.

"We all work hard every day to keep the standards high to give our fantastic customers the food and service they deserve.

"Winning this award is great praise for the whole team and shows all the work is worth it."

Pennington Plaice, on Leigh Road (Image: Pennington Plaice)

Noting the difficulties of running a food business through the cost of living crisis, competiton organiser Reece Head added: “It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Pennington Plaice on being one of the UK’s 50 Best Fish & Chip Takeaways.

“They are pushing forwards while not losing sight of what makes the chippy so engrained in British culture - high quality, value for money food with great customer service and inviting surrounding."