A FISH and chip restaurant has missed out on a national award - but is still celebrating being named one of the best in the region.

Reliance Fish Restaurant in Queen Street, Gravesend, was one of five chippies on the Sussex, Kent and Surrey regional shortlist for the National Fish & Chip Shop of the Year competition.

A mystery inspector from competition organisers Seafish, the Government department responsible for the seafood industry, visited each restaurant this month (October) and chose one to go onto a shortlist of 21 for the national award.

Unfortunately for Reliance, this was Seafare Fish & Chips in Guildford.

Reliance owner Jack Kamenou says that although he is disappointed not to get through to the national final, he is “proud to be in the top five in the area”.

The 41-year-old said: “There are around 10,500 fish and chip restaurants in the UK and this competition has put us in the top 80, which is a great achievement.”

A mystery inspector placed Reliance on the regional shortlist after visiting the restaurant in September.

All restaurants assessed were judged on criteria including food quality, customer service, hygiene and staff training.

Competition organiser Andy Gray says all restaurants that made the regional shortlist showed “very high standards”.

He said: “Restaurants that reached the top five stage of their region are offering their customers a top quality product.”

The shortlist of 21 national finalists will be whittled down to 10 over the next few months, with the overall national winner announced at a London awards ceremony next year.

Reliance also made the regional shortlist in last year’s competition, and Mr Kamenou says he will enter the competition again next year.

He says the time and care he and his staff put into preparing the food will always give the restaurant a chance of winning.

He said: "I have my own secret way of making fish and chips, which I've shared with the staff.

"They take their time to make them the way I like them, and I'm fussy, so they have to be good."