CHIPPYS from across North and East Yorkshire are set to battle it out for the title Fish & Chip Shop of the Year.

The 16th annual competition has been launched in London by TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson.

He said that while he was out in the jungle earlier this year for the TV reality show, I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, one of the dishes he really craved was a big portion of fish and chips, washed down with a cup of tea.

Hundreds of shops throughout the UK have entered the contest to find the nation's best fish frier.

They include Mister C's, of Micklegate, Selby, a restaurant that employs 18 staff and has a special children's play area called the Looney Lagoon. The contest organisers say the shop recently introduced personalised packaging boxes printed with caricatures of owners Mark and Denise.

Another entry was Thompson's Traditional Fish and Chips, of Main Street, Wetwang, East Yorkshire, which counts Countdown presenter Richard Whiteley as a regular customer.

"They offer a home delivery service for disabled villagers," said a contest spokesman.

"The funniest moment that shop staff have experienced was when a bridegroom left his own wedding reception to eat a portion of fish and chips from the shop."

A further contender is the Quarterdeck, at Pier Road, Whitby. This restaurant is said to count actors from ITV's Heartbeat among its regulars, sampling the menu which includes lobster, crab and sea bass as well as cod, haddock and plaice.

Wackers of Scarborough, built on the site of one of the town's oldest churches, is said to be the largest fish and chip shop restaurant in the area, seating 250, and is said to have won recommendations from top chef Rick Stein.

A York entry has come from Wetherby Whaler, situated on the Outer Ring Road, at Poppleton.

Mr Worrall Thompson said he hopes the contest will promote the virtues of Britain's most popular takeaway meal.

"Fish and chips is a national institution. It is a simple no-fuss meal, both delicious and nutritious."

He urged food lovers to vote for their favourite chippy while calling in to see for themselves once more how enjoyable freshly-cooked fish and chips really could be.

Updated: 08:38 Friday, July 11, 2003