Secret ingredient sees Gosport fish and chip shop secure top place in two food awards

Scott’s Plaice in Gregson Avenue, Gosport, has won two major food awards this year.

The fish and chip shop was given a Good Food Award as well as being placed in the Top 50 Fish and Chip Shops in the UK by Fry Magazine.

Owner Scott Turner, 30, said he was delighted by the awards - and that careful consideration of ingredients and a secret ingredient are his secrets to success.

He said: ‘We try and go above and beyond with our customer service. It’s an amazing feeling when you prepare a lovely meal and you see people coming back because of it.’

Good Food awards its winners based on food quality and customer feedback. It said Scott’s Plaice ‘demonstrated exceptional levels of food quality, service, and value.’

Fry Magazine undertakes three months of mystery shopping, secretly assessing 40 aspects of the businesses from the quality of fish and chips and staff presentation to front-of-house hygiene and customer service.

Scott’s Plaice was one of only two shops in Hampshire recognised, alongside Topcatch Fish and Chips, in Southampton.

Scott said: ‘It’s nice to get a bit of recognition for the hard work we put in. We’re one big working family and we were very excited to hear we won.

‘We take careful consideration in the ingredients that we use and the preparation of our food. We add a secret ingredient to the batter to give it a bit more of a unique taste and extra crisp.’

Scott, from Bursledon, started his fish and chip career aged 12, assisting with cleaning at his local chippy. He progressed to frying and serving until opening his own shop in 2016.

His shop, Scott’s Plaice, employs three people and serves the classic dish alongside burgers, pies, chicken, and sausages. Inspired by a recent surge in sales, the takeaway has also added a new spicy jumbo sausage to its menu.

SEE ALSO: 10 great fish and chip takeaways in the Portsmouth area according to Tripadvisor

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Scott has updated the shop with all the necessary safety guidelines and started an online ordering system, plus he has seen orders increase through delivery services such as JustEat.

But he said he was glad to have such a loyal customer base.

He said: ‘We’ve got customers that have been coming in since the day we opened and have always supported us even more so through these tough times.’

Scott’s Plaice also provided 100 free half-term meals for children, inspired by footballer Marcus Rashford’s national campaign.

Scott said that despite giving his life to fish and chips, he never gets tired of eating the British classic.

He said: ‘I never get sick of it, I eat it every single week. I test to ensure the quality is still there.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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