Chip shop wins top award

It is great news for a Kenton chip shop that took a top Sea Fish Industries prize.

Belmont Bay Fish and Chips in Kenton Lane won the award for best fish and chip dinner in Greater London, Middlesex and Essex.

The competition, held annually by Sea Fish Industries, a Government body that promotes good quality and sustainable seafood, is contested by chip shops across Britain.

This is the second time Belmont Bay has won since it started four and a half years ago.

Owner John Ioannou puts the shop's success down to "lots of hard work and the use of the best-quality ingredients money can buy - fish and potatoes".

He said: "Sea Fish likes when people try new things and care about sustainability, which is why we have got in pollock and coley, which are of the cod family but more abundant.

"They taste as good as cod and are as just good quality, but are half the price so are good for us and our customers."

The 35-year-old set up his first fish and chip shop in Kilburn High Street 10 years ago and has been in the batter business ever since.

He told the Observer: "When I got married and had kids I decided Harrow was a more family-orientated area, so set up here."

The entrepreneur was coy about revealing his secret batter recipe but said he used only 100 per cent pure vegetable oil, rather than the nut oil that some fish and chips shops use, which can produce allergic reactions.

In light of the recent success and the current economic climate, Mr Ioannou added: "We want to give something back to the local community so we are offering a 15 per cent discount to all senior citizens every Tuesday."