This fish and chip shop has been named the Portsmouth area's best - for the third time

Bill Isherwood and his wife Janice have been frying chips and battering fish for the last 15 years at Bill’s Chippy in Waterlooville.

Now the pair can add another trophy to their cabinet after winning The News' Chippy of the Year for the third time.

Bill, 67, said: ‘It's a reflection on our team and me and Janice, my other half.

'We put everything into this business and so do our staff. I think that's why we've got this.’

Although Bill and his wife Janice put in more than 60 hours a week, they count themselves in the shop's roster of seven part-time workers.

‘We work damn hard here and we haven't had a holiday in about 25 years’, Bill added.

The pair have owned the shop in Mill Road for around 35 years.

Bill used to run it as a TV and video repair workshop but with the popularity of DVDs and low price of videos, it meant his costs were undercut.

He said: 'That came to an end because you could buy videos cheaper than the cost of repairing them.

'At that point I'd never cooked a bit of fish in my life but I thought "I'm gonna go for it".

'Now I know my stuff and I'm doing everything, but it was a big step.

‘I had to get planning permission and the cost of that and the range was at least £100,000. That was without the fridges, the walls being re-plastered and tile flooring being laid down.'

The pair are now looking forward to the future and continuing to keep their customers happy but have considered selling up.

Bill said: 'I'm happy and the customers like everything.

'But I should be retired now, so if the price was right and someone offered me something I would consider selling it.'

He added: ‘To my customers I really want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for voting for me and for staying loyal to me.'

‘To my staff I'd like to thank them. It's the hard work they put in to help that helped us get this award. It shines on them as well as me.'

Second place went to 1st Quay Fish and Chips in Widley, third place went to Lee-on-the-Solent Fish and Chippy in Lee-on-the-Solent, and Ocean King Fish and Chips in Gosport took fourth place.