Dame Caroline Dinenage, Member of Parliament for Gosport, has crowned Scott’s Plaice in Bridgemary the winner of the second Gosport Constituency Fish and Chip Shop of the Year competition.

Caroline launched the competition on National Fish and Chip Day to celebrate the constituency’s much-loved fish and chip shops and recognise the important role they play in supporting local jobs, serving their communities and feeding families.

The competition also provided an opportunity to highlight the pressures facing local fish and chip shops, including high food and energy prices, business rates and increased employment costs.

Scott’s Plaice has previously been recognised as one of the UK’s Top 50 Fish and Chip Shops and has developed a strong reputation locally for the quality of its food and customer service. Caroline visited Scott’s Plaice to present the award to owner Scott Turner.

Dame Caroline said: “Scott’s Plaice has done it again! To win the competition once was a fantastic achievement, but to be crowned Gosport Constituency Fish and Chip Shop of the Year for the second year running is particularly impressive.

“Our local chippies are at the heart of their communities. They create jobs, support local families and continue to provide brilliant food despite the significant pressures facing small businesses and the hospitality sector.

“It was lovely to visit Scott once again to present the award and hear how much the recognition means to them.

“Huge congratulations to everyone at Scott’s Plaice and to all of their loyal customers. Congratulations also to Village Fish Bar, our very worthy runner-up, and thank you to everyone who voted and supported their favourite local chippy.”

Scott Turner, owner of Scott’s Plaice, said: “It is lovely to be recognised again, and it was great news for the whole team.

“A huge thank you to all of our wonderful customers for supporting us and voting for Scott’s Plaice. We really appreciate their continued support, particularly at a time when small independent businesses are facing so many pressures.

“I would also like to say a huge thank you to our fantastic team. This award is for them too. They work incredibly hard, and we could not have achieved this without them.”