Seafood Industry Australia is calling for fish and chip lovers to submit beer batter votes and dory worthy of fame and glory in this year’s Australian Fish and Chip Awards.
Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Senator Anne Ruston launched the 2018 competition at Parliament House in Canberra and this year’s awards are shaping up to be bigger and better than ever. SIA CEO Jane Lovell says the competition will be both a lot of fun and bring awareness to issues facing the Australian seafood industry. “The Australian Fish and Chip Awards not only celebrate the iconic dish, but they highlight the importance of buying fresh, local seafood,” Jane said. “People are flabbergasted when they find out 70 per cent of seafood eaten in Australia is imported; and that most imported seafood is eaten in foodservice. Buying Australian seafood supports our Aussie fishers and supports our world-class fisheries, which provide some of the most sustainable seafood in the world. Australian fisheries underpin thousands of small Australian businesses and employ thousands of Australians every year.”
Last year’s event reeled in more than 100,000 votes across 800 stores and 2000 shops are already registered for this year’s fry-off. “In every town, across every state and territory, people spruik their fish and chips as number one, so let’s put them to the test,” Ms Lovell said. There will be two categories this year including people’s choice and a judge’s choice. The winners from each state and territories will go through to compete for the national title of, Best Fish and Chips 2018. 2017’s Queensland’s Winner was The Great British Fryer from The Gold Coast where the owner Brian Corrigan combines his scottish memories of eating fish and chips in the pouring rain with traditional Aussie cuisine eaten from newspaper on the beach dodging the sand.
Voting runs from Wednesday 1 August to Sunday 16 September, with the national winner announced on Monday 15 October.
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