Receiving the award for Best Seafood Week Campaign from Debbie Cook of Seafish are Ginny and Martin James, owners of The Pelican, with Pelican staff Tina Francis and Luca Manteiro, joined by judge Nigel Barden. Picture: Ashley Bingham/A&M Photography Receiving the award for Best Seafood Week Campaign from Debbie Cook of Seafish are Ginny and Martin James, owners of The Pelican, with Pelican staff Tina Francis and Luca Manteiro, joined by judge Nigel Barden. Picture: Ashley Bingham/A&M Photography

The Pelican in Barnstaple has been named the best fish and chip restaurant in the UK at the ‘Oscars’ of the fish and chip world.

The takeaway and restaurant at Sticklepath won two national awards in the 30th anniversary National Fish and Chip Awards, organised by Seafish and held at a swish event in the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London.

To win, it was rigorously tested by industry experts as well as appraised by industry experts, who also made unannounced ‘secret shopper’ visits.

The Pelican also won the Best Seafood Week Campaign Award for participation in Seafood Week (October 6-13), an annual event that encourages consumers to eat more fish.

The Pelican in Barnstaple. The Pelican in Barnstaple.

Martin James, owner of The Pelican, said: “We’re celebrating 30 years in the fish and chip business this year, and being named the UK’s best fish and chip restaurant and winning the Best Seafood Week Campaign Award has made an already special year even better!

“Since being shortlisted for the Fish and Chip Restaurant of the Year Award, everyone at The Pelican has worked extremely hard to get us to where we are now.

“We also built on last year’s successful Seafood Week campaign and got our customers involved in shaping our menu. They asked for a range of tastes and textures, and we got people trying fish they would have never usually picked - it was great to see customers being more adventurous and learning about all the fantastic choices that are available.

“I want to thank our team and customers for providing continual support and inspiration.”

Marcus Coleman, chief executive at Seafish, added: “With more and more restaurants serving fish and chips opening across the country, the competition to be crowned the best in the UK has never been so competitive.

“The Pelican has proved that they not only offer an award-winning portion, but also an excellent fish and chip dining experience. They have also demonstrated that they are one of the country’s leading businesses that celebrate all things fish and shellfish, encouraging their local community to eat more fish, more often.

“To win not only one but two awards in a nationwide competition is no easy feat, the team at The Pelican should be incredibly proud of their achievement.”