County Durham chippy named best at national 2026 awards

Beedle’s Chippy in Bishop Auckland was revealed among the best 50 takeaways in the UK at the Fry Awards 2026.

The awards, now in its 14th year, also celebrated the 10 best fish and chip restaurants of the year, including Trenchers Spanish City in Whitley Bay.

All the chippy champions were secretly assessed by mystery diners on a range of aspects such as food quality, premises cleanliness, staff expertise, value for money, ease of ordering, and social media presence. 

County Durham fish and chip shop named among UK’s best 50 takeaways

Beedle’s Chippy was founded in 1991 and soon became recognised as one of the “premium chippies” in the North East, according to its website.

It adds: “Our focus has always been on quality produce and service but not forgetting to move with the times and what our loyal customers want.”

Just some popular chippy items you can find on the menu at Beedle’s Chippy include whale of cod, haddock and plaice.

Over on Tripadvisor, the fish and chip shop has a “good” 3.9/5 rating based on 61 reviews.

Additionally, it currently boasts a 4.2/5-star rating out of 360 on Google Reviews.

This customer wrote: “Tasty generous traditional fish and chips. Will go out of my way to go back for more.”

Another shared: “Some of the best chips in town, always lovely and the people are so friendly. Would highly recommend.”

Reece Head, competition organiser, commented: “Congratulations to this year’s Fry Award winners.

“Over the past 12 months, these operators have faced significant challenges, including higher wage costs, rising energy bills and exceptional pressure on fish prices.

“Despite this, they have maintained consistently high standards, supported and motivated their teams, and kept customers informed as changes were needed.

“That commitment was evident to our mystery judges and is what secured each business a place among the UK’s leading fish and chip shops.

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“Exceptionally high pass marks of 96% and 97% were set this year, demonstrating the consistently high shop standards in place.

“Their success proves that our nation’s favourite takeaway remains nutritious, great value and stronger than ever.”

Beedle’s Chippy can be found at 2A Oaklea Terrace, Bishop Auckland, DL14 6HH.