North Devon chip shop stalwart shortlisted in top three for national award

A dedicated member of a famous North Devon chippy has been shortlisted in the top three for Employee of the Year at the prestigious National Fish & Chips Awards.

Zak Bishop of Squires Fish and Chip restaurant and Takeaway in Braunton is hoping to bring double the glory back to the village as the shop itself bids for the title of Best Restaurant in the 2026 awards.

Squires has already been named in the top five shortlist for the 38th instalment of the national awards, with the winners set to be revealed at the Park Plaza in London on February 25.

Today (Thursday, December 11) awards organisers have released their Employee of the Year top three, with Zak going up against fellow chippy professionals Donna Whitfield from County Durham and Hollie Hutton from Bradford.

Above: Squires in Braunton prides itself on providing great fish and chips for the past 45 years. Credit: Squires

Jane Squire, who runs the Exeter Road chip shop with other members of the Squire family, said: “We are absolutely bursting with pride to see Zak recognized on such a prestigious national stage. To reach the final three for Employee of the Year at the National Fish and Chip Awards 2026 is a massive achievement.

“This is the third year we've nominated Zak, finishing in the top four last year and we truly believe this is his year, he just goes from strength to strength.

“Zak represents the very best of our industry - hard work, skill, and a genuine passion for serving our customers. We can’t wait to support him at the finals in London." 

Above: Squires Fish and Chip Restaurant and Takeaway in Braunton. Credit: Squires

The popular business was established by June and Gordon Squire in 1969 and today is run by Mike, Cherry, Jane and William Squire. June passed away aged 92 in April this year.

The National Fish & Chip Awards are organised by the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) and follow a rigorous process to pick the winners, with shortlisted restaurants subjected to unannounced visits from the judges as well as ‘secret shopper’ visits.

For the employee category, a team of leading industry figures have designed a thorough review process, which examines candidates’ knowledge of the trade, approaches to sustainability and cooking top quality chippy food.

The ones to watch for the Employee of the Year award have been nominated by their colleagues and the judges have selected the finalists based on their proficiency with food preparation, operational tasks, front-of-house service, leadership abilities, their resourcefulness and consistency in cooking great fish and chips, among other things.

NFFF president Andrew Crook said: “Employee of the Year is a big celebration of the people at the heart of our nation’s fish and chip shops and we are grateful for professionals like our finalists.

“They give themselves fully to all they do, whether it’s supporting their teammates, overcoming obstacles or running service like clockwork, it’s a demanding profession but they make it look effortless.

“It’s a huge achievement to be up for this award and there’s no limit on how far Donna, Zak and Hollie can go in their careers.”