ANOTHER contender is vying for the title of 'best chippy' in York and North Yorkshire.

Osbaldwick Fisheries, in Osbaldwick Lane, York, is one of 10 finalists in The Press 'Best Chippy 2024' awards.

Press readers have nominated their favourite fish and chip shops in York and North Yorkshire via an online voting platform.

Readers will now be able to vote for their 'Best Chippy 2024' by picking up copies of the The Press newspaper between June 3 and June 17, with the winner set to be announced on June 24.

Each copy of The Press in the coming days will feature a short profile on each chippy and why it thinks it deserves to be voted number one in York.

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Osbaldwick Fisheries has been nominated for best chippy multiple times in past reader competitions and is now back again.

The small family run shop - owned by couple Mark and Karen Atkinson - is only open three days a week but has established a presence in the village for the past 27 years through the quality of its fish and chips.

Mark said: “I remember opening on a Thursday in 1997, we bought 30 pounds of fish to last the weekend. By the end of the night, we’d used 27 of those.”

Prior to opening his chippy, Mark had worked as a chef and only stepped into the fish and chip trade as a favour to a friend, who needed support at their takeaway. After three years behind the counter at Stanford Bridge, he set up shop by himself.

Having used the same merchants for almost 30 years, Osbaldwick prides itself on its high-quality produce with chips rumbled and chipped in house and bought from local suppliers, something which ensures that they’re able to stand alone without needing sauces to be added.

York Press: The outside of the shop at Osbaldwick FisheriesThe outside of the shop at Osbaldwick Fisheries (Image: Facebook)

According to Mark: “We take pride in what we do and never change the quality, even if it makes things more expensive for us.”

The team also ensures that its fish is the highest quality offering from Iceland, where the colder waters breed stockier fish with pristine white flesh and the ethical standards ensure that they don’t overfish.

Despite the higher standard, prices at Osbaldwick remain static – something that’s very important to Mark, who ensures his product is kept at a steady price in order to avoid ripping people off.

On what keeps people coming back, Mark says: “We don’t do anything special – we’re just a traditional fish and chip shop that tries to produce the best fish and chips we can. The consistency is there.

“We’ve been open for 27 years – not many people have been in the game that long.”